Lebanese troops deploy; airport reopens

MARJAYOUN, Lebanon - Lebanese troops, tanks and armored vehicles deployed south of the Litani River on Thursday, a key provision of the U.N. cease-fire plan that ended fighting between

Israel and Hezbollah. The deployment marked a first step toward extending government control in a region Lebanese troops have largely avoided for four decades.

In Beirut, the international airport reopened to commercial traffic for the first time since July 13 when it was attacked by Israeli warplanes and gunboats. A Middle East Airlines passenger jet touched down from Amman, Jordan, ending a 36-day Israeli blockade. A Royal Jordanian flight followed soon after.