BEIRUT, Aug 15: Israeli forces began leaving parts of south Lebanon on Tuesday as a UN truce largely held for a second day and the Lebanese army prepared to move south. The general calm has prompted a chaotic tide of refugees flowing back to southern villages, despite the risk of unexploded munitions left over from the fighting and Israeli leaflet drops warning that it was not safe to return.

“People need to be aware the dangers are very high,” said Astrid van Genderen Stort, spokeswoman for the UN refugee agency UNHCR. She said there had been at least eight incidents involving unexploded ordnance, but had no word on casualties.

In northern Israel, residents also returned after weeks away from their homes to escape cross-border Hezbollah rocket fire.

The Israeli army, which had poured 30,000 troops into the south to fight the guerillas, plans to start handing over some pockets of territory to United Nations troops in a day or two, Israeli officials and Western diplomats said.

Israel’s top general, Dan Halutz, said Israeli forces could complete a withdrawal within 10 days.

In line with the UN Security Council resolution that halted the fighting, the Lebanese army will begin moving 15,000 troops south of the Litani River on Thursday, a senior political source said. The force is assembling at various army bases.

“As we speak, the army is readying the force,” the source said, adding that Lebanese units would stay out of areas occupied by Israeli troops until UN peacekeepers move in.

Lebanese Defence Minister Elias al-Murr has said the army will not disarm Hezbollah guerrillas in the south.

The truce remains fragile. Israeli soldiers shot five Hezbollah fighters in two incidents on Tuesday, the Israeli army said.

It was not known whether any had been killed.

The army also said four Hezbollah mortar bombs landed near its troops overnight, causing no casualties. On Monday Israeli troops killed one guerrilla after the truce.

Israel’s quicker withdrawal plans reflect concern that its forces on the ground are easy targets for Hezbollah attack.

A military spokesman said Israel had begun pulling its forces out of Lebanon, but the army declined to say how many of the 30,000 troops Israel was reported to have there had already left.—Reuters