KYRA PHILLIPS, CNN ANCHOR: In the Middle East, Israeli soldiers are returning home from southern Lebanon, and their Lebanese militia allies are giving up their posts. Israel began a full-scale withdrawal from its self-declared security zone weeks ahead of a July 7 deadline. As troops pull back, Hezbollah guerrillas are moving in. Mark Austin has more.</s>MARK AUSTIN, ITN REPORTER (voice-over): Heading home and happy to be doing so, convoys of Israeli troops and armor drove out of Lebanon before daybreak. Overnight, the Israelis abandoned their last major base in the security zone, and relieved soldiers were reunited with friends and relatives. Israel's withdraw from southern Lebanon appears this morning to be accelerating, as the security situation there continues to deteriorate. Behind the Israelis, scenes of celebration as Lebanese guerrillas and civilian sympathizers return to their former villages. For these people, the withdrawal of the Israelis and the collapse of the militias allied to them, represents liberation after more than two decades. This morning, more militiamen of the South Lebanon Army were surrendering to Lebanese forces and Hezbollah guerrillas, more than 300 militiamen are now in Lebanese custody, their fate yet to be decided. They are the target of real hostility. Many of these people want revenge. There is a growing flood of refugees fleeing the security zone as artillery battles continue in the hill. These refugees heading for camps being set up by the Sea of Galilee.</s>TIMOR GOKSEL, U.N. SPOKESMAN: We, at the moment, we are in touch with all parties to minimize the incidents and make this withdrawal as orderly as possible without any important casualties (ph) to the civilian people.</s>AUSTIN: They are escaping fighting which is chaotic and which continues. Several civilians were killed and injured yesterday and more casualties are reported this morning. Mark Austin, ITN.
Israeli Troops Pull Back from Southern Lebanon; Hezbollah Guerrillas Moving in