Tuesday, September 26 2006 14:08 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

Beirut: "Israeli troops are still manning positions in 10 sites in southern Lebanon," said a Lebanese army official.

"The areas where Israeli troops remain stretch from Yarin in the eastern sector to Kfar Kila in the central area," the official said.

"The Israeli troops are still in positions like Kfar Kila, Markaba, Blida, Maroun al-Ras, Rmeish, Ramiyeh, Marwaheen and Yarin.

"The UN forces have also records of the occupied positions, and they (UN) said they expect Israeli troops to leave the positions by the end of the month," he said.

The official added that a meeting is due between UNIFIL and Lebanese and Israeli officials, to settle the final points to complete an Israeli pullout from the border areas it has occupied since the month-long hostilities ended by a UN-brokered ceasefire Aug 14.

Since the end of the war, which erupted between Israel and Hezbollah July 12 after the Shia militia captured two Israeli soldiers near the Israeli border, the UNIFIL force has been boosted to 5,000 troops, and the Lebanese army has been deployed in the southern border area for the first time since 1968.

According to a UN official, "There will be no obstructions, and the withdrawal of Israeli troops will take place by the end of the month."