A group of 118 Lebanese who left for Israel with the Israeli army in May, returned to their homeland Friday, reported The Associated Press.
Twenty-eight of them were former militiamen who were held for questioning.
The refugees, including a large number of women and children, were driven across the border in UN buses and taken to the coastal town of Naqoura, where they were handed over to Lebanese intelligence officers, said the AP.
The women and children were sent home, while the former militiamen were held for questioning on charges of collaboration with Israel, Lebanese security officials said.
About 6,000 Lebanese, mostly members or associates of the disbanded Israeli-allied South Lebanon Army militia and their families, sought refuge in Israel after the Israeli army pulled out of southern Lebanon on May 24th.
So far, 850 have returned home, according to UN officials.
Returning South Lebanon Army members face trial by a military court, said the AP, adding that more than 1,000 former members and allies have been sentenced to jail terms of up to 15 years since the trials began in June - Albawaba.com
© 2000 Al Bawaba (www.albawaba.com)
