Lebanon: Six fleeing persons return back from Israel

Six Lebanese returned back yesterday to Lebanon after they had fled to Israel with the Israeli army during its withdrawal from south Lebanon in 2000.

A Lebanese security source said that the six Lebanese, three men, one woman and two children were taken by the UN forces from al-Naqoura on the Israeli - Lebanese borders and handed them over to the Lebanese army.

The Lebanese army detained the three men over suspicion of being members in the "southern Lebanese army" which used to be allied with Israel in south Lebanon and the three others returned back to their villages.

The Lebanese Lahd's militias collapsed quickly when the Israeli army pulled out from south Lebanon in may 2000. More than 6,000 Lebanese families fled to Israel of fears of revenge. The Lebanese courts issued alleviated sentences against members of these militias in order to encourage the families to return back. Hundreds of Lebanese families returned back from Israel during the two past years.