News Brief

(IsraelNN.com) Syrian troops took up positions along the eastern border of Lebanon on Monday, according to a report published Tuesday morning by the London-based Arabic daily Al-Hayat. The newspaper says the deployment followed one along Lebanon's northern border by two weeks. Eyewitnesses told Al-Hayat that the troops set up roadblocks and trenches in the northern part of al-Bakaa, near the al-Katzar border crossing, as was done along the northern border.

In a message to Lebanese president Michel Suleiman, Syrian president Bashar al-Assad said the action is designed to thwart efforts by smugglers and protect Lebanon from Islamic terrorist groups.

Members of an anti-Syrian coalition say the buildup is evidence of Damascus's intention to return to Lebanon, where its troops were stationed until it was forced by international pressure to pull out, following suspicions of Syrian involvement in the assassination of former Lebanese prime minister Rafik al-Hariri.