BEIRUT, Sept 21: Syria began redeploying around 3,000 troops from the outskirts of Beirut towards the eastern Syrian-Lebanese border on Tuesday in an apparent attempt to ease US-led international pressure over its influence on Lebanon.

Lebanese sources said once completed, the two-stage redeployment would leave Syria's troops concentrated in a smaller area of Lebanon and largely restrict them to the strategic eastern Bekaa Valley near the border.

The redeployment followed mounting US-led international pressure on Syria to withdraw its 17,000 troops from Lebanon and stop interfering in its neighbour's internal affairs.

But it is unlikely to loosen Syria's political grip over Lebanon where its allies remain entrenched in the Lebanese government and state bodies. It was not immediately clear how many Syrian troops would remain in the Bekaa Valley and whether others would return home but security sources said around 3,000 soldiers would be relocating from positions around the capital.

Lebanese and Syrian officials have recently said that any redeployment would be the latest in a series of similar moves that almost halved the number of Syrian forces in Lebanon. Lebanese President Emile Lahoud said the redeployment was in line with the 1989 Taif Accord.

"It aims at consolidating stability and security in Lebanon," he said after talks with Syria's Defence Minister Hasan Turkmani and top officers. But analysts said the timing was aimed at weathering the international storm and an attempt by Beirut and Damascus to show they were cooperating with the United Nations.

Syria is under US sanctions over support of groups Washington brands "terrorist", refusal to renounce weapons of mass destruction and its presence in Lebanon. -Reuters