Lebanon Police Start Clearing Coastal Road

Lebanese police moved down the militia-controlled southern coastal highway Wednesday in preparation for a delayed army deployment aimed at the eventual withdrawal of Israeli troops from southern Lebanon.

“The internal security forces started the coastal security plan and will supervise the removal of all arms, roadblocks and the retreat of the militiamen so that the army can take over Monday,” Premier Rashid Karami said.

A police spokesman added that the security forces were accompanied by officers of the Druze militia from Beirut to the town of Damour, 11 miles south on the coastal road.

No incidents were reported as the police group prepared the way for the Lebanese army to take over the entire 24-mile stretch from Beirut south to the Awwali River, where the occupying Israeli army is dug in.

But military sources said that some Christian and Druze gunmen fought briefly in the hilly Kharoub region overlooking the southern part of the highway. No casualties were reported.

The sources added that about 200 soldiers are scheduled to secure positions in the region today, and the militias are to withdraw Sunday.

The Beirut government of President Amin Gemayel wants the army to move up to the Israeli front lines in the hope that the Israelis may yet pull back their troops in the south. Deadlocked troop withdrawal talks between Lebanon and Israel resume Monday.

Karami spoke after a Cabinet session at which a committee was formed to secure the release of 2,000 to 4,000 people who have disappeared during several rounds of Lebanese civil strife since 1975.

The creation of the committee, made up of militia officers and relatives of the missing people, failed to end a protest by scores of demonstrators blocking highways across Beirut for the eighth day.