Beirut, Dec 12 (NationPress) The Lebanese army, along with United Nations peacekeepers, commenced their deployment on Wednesday afternoon to five strategic locations near Khiam, a town located in the eastern part of Lebanon's southern border area, as confirmed by the Lebanese army command.

According to a statement from the command, army units were positioned in five sites around Khiam in coordination with the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL).

This deployment signifies the initial phase of operations in the region, occurring simultaneously with the Israeli withdrawal that followed discussions held by the five-member monitoring group, as reported by Xinhua news agency.

A subsequent phase will involve specialist units performing an engineering survey of the town to eliminate unexploded ordnance. The army has advised civilians to avoid the area and comply with military directives until the deployment is finalized.

The Lebanese army has mobilized approximately 6,000 troops and numerous armored vehicles stationed in barracks south of the Litani River, extending their deployment across the districts of Marjeyoun, Nabatieh, Bint Jbeil, Tyre, and Zahrani.

A ceasefire, effective from November 27, was established to conclude nearly 14 months of conflict between Israel and Hezbollah.

The terms of the ceasefire require Israel to withdraw from Lebanese territory within a 60-day timeframe, while the Lebanese army is expected to deploy along the border and in the south to take over security control and prevent any armed presence.

Despite the ceasefire, there have been reports of Israeli forces conducting strikes within Lebanon, leading to casualties.