Israeli military plans partial withdrawal from S. Lebanon --

JERUSALEM, Sept. 5 (Xinhua) -- The Israeli military is preparing to reduce its forces in southern Lebanon, with a partial withdrawal and the creation of a narrower "security zone" along the border, Israel's state-owned Kan TV News reported Saturday.

The channel quoted Israeli security officials as saying that Israeli forces would withdraw to positions three to four kilometers from the border, down from the current zone of approximately 10 kilometers.

The new deployment, which requires approval from Israel's political echelon, has been dubbed the "Gray Line" and will replace the current "Yellow Line," Kan said.

The new plan comes after the military said Thursday it had taken control of two underground Hezbollah routes in the strategic Ali al-Taher ridge on the eastern outskirts of Nabatieh in southern Lebanon, it added.