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WORLD NEWS Tuesday 15 augusT 2017

Syrian rebels leave Lebanese border area after truce deal

By BASSEM MROUE of Ruhaiba, about 50 kilo-
Associated Press meters (31 miles) northeast
BEIRUT (AP) — Hundreds of the Syrian capital, Da-
of Syrian rebels and civil- mascus, where they will re-
ians started leaving the turn to normal life following
Lebanon-Syria border area an amnesty by the state,
Monday after a deal was according to Hezbollah’s
reached for their depar- Al-Manar TV.
ture following days of de- Rebels and government
lay, the media arm of Leb- fighters have lived along-
anon’s militant Hezbollah side each other in Ruhaiba
group said. without fighting for more
In Beirut, meanwhile, the than a year following a lo-
United State handed over cal de-escalation agree-
to the Lebanese army ment. Hezbollah’s Military
eight Bradley Fighting Ve- Media said that by Mon-
hicles, part of a total of day afternoon, some 1,500
32 that will be delivered fighters and civilians had
over the coming months. left toward Ruhaiba. An-
The military aid is aimed at other 300 are scheduled
helping Lebanon combat to leave later in the day
extremist groups and pre- Members of the U.S. military stand for a photograph in front of military vehicles that were unloaded bound for their govern-
vent further spillover from from a ship at Beirut’s port in Lebanon, Lebanon, Monday, Aug. 14, 2017. The United State handed ment-held hometowns in
neighboring Syria. over the Lebanese army eight Bradley Fighting Vehicles part of 32 that will be delivered in the the western parts of the
At the border, buses carry- coming months. The U.S. has supplied the military with helicopters, anti-tank missiles, artillery and Qalamoun region, near
ing members of the Levant radars, as well as training. (AP Photo/Bilal Hussein) the border with Lebanon.
People’s Brigades rebel The Britain-based Syrian
group started moving from The evacuation comes linked fighters and their gades, whose members Observatory for Human
the Lebanese border town nearly two weeks after families, left Arsal following did not take part in last Rights said about 2,000 in
of Arsal in the direction of more than 7,000 Syrians, a Hezbollah offensive. month’s battles, will be total should enter Syria by
the Syrian village of Fleeta. many of them al-Qaida- The Levant People’s Bri- heading to the Syrian town the end of the day.q
US Navy reports another tense encounter with an Iran drone

By JON GAMBRELL nnaughey, a spokesman siles. cessor amid new sanctions to squeeze moderate Presi-
Associated Press for the Bahrain-based 5th Iran’s military and state- targeting Iran over its ballis- dent Hassan Rouhani’s ad-
DUBAI, United Arab Emir- Fleet. run media did not imme- tic missile tests. ministration after the 2015
ates (AP) — An unarmed The drone did not respond diately report the incident, So far this year, the Navy nuclear deal.
Iranian drone shadowed a to repeated calls over the which came after a similar has recorded 14 instanc- Of the incidents at sea last
U.S. aircraft carrier at night radio and came within encounter Aug. 8, in which es of what it describes as year, the worst involved Ira-
and came close enough to 1,000 feet (300 meters) of the Navy said an Iranian “unsafe and/or unprofes- nian forces capturing and
F-18 fighter jets to put the U.S. fighters, he said. drone came within 100 sional” interactions with Ira- holding overnight 10 U.S.
lives of American pilots at That “created a dangerous feet (30 meters) of an F-18 nians forces. It recorded 35 sailors who strayed into the
risk, the Navy said Tuesday, situation with the potential preparing to land on the in 2016 and 23 in 2015. Islamic Republic’s territorial
reporting the second such for collision and is not in Nimitz. Iranian vessels and The incidents at sea almost waters.
tense encounter within a keeping with internation- U.S. warships have also had always involved Iran’s Rev- Iranian forces in turn accuse
week. al maritime customs and tense encounters in recent olutionary Guard, a para- the U.S. Navy of unprofes-
The Iranian Sadegh drone laws,” McConnaughey months. military force that reports sional behavior, especially
flew without any warning said in a statement. U.S. President Donald only to Supreme Leader in the Strait of Hormuz, the
lights during the encounter The drone was unarmed, Trump has threatened to Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. mouth of the Persian Gulf,
Sunday night with the USS the lieutenant said, though renegotiate the nuclear Some analysts believe the through which a third of all
Nimitz, said Lt. Ian McCo- that model can carry mis- deal struck by his prede- incidents are meant in part oil traded by sea passes.q