Lebanese defense minister: Army not prepared to replace the Syrian forces upon completed withdrawal

The Lebanese minister of defense Abdul Rahim Murad said that the size of the Lebanese army is not enough to replace the Syrian forces in case of complete withdrawal from Lebanon.

In a press conference, Murad said that the army members are still too young to assume the mission the Syrians have so far carried out, noting the implications of implementing the decision of reducing the military service from one year to 6 months.

He criticized the continued foreign interventions in his country's affairs, adding that the army notified Washington's ambassador in Beirut that the conditions of the Lebanese military establishment is unable to do complete missions in the Bekaa.

Meantime, news reports in Beirut said that the Syrian forces evacuated some of its positions in the Bekaa area and that units belong to the air defense in the Syrian army withdrew from Deir al-Ahmar, Labwi, Maqna, Einata to the north of the Bekaa into inside the Syrian lands.