News In Brief

France says Libya has begun evacuating outposts in Chad

French military sources say Libyan Army units evacuated several outposts in Chad's northern desert over the weekend, nearly two weeks after Libya and France were to begin withdrawing their troops from Chad. In return, French commanders ordered the evacuation Sunday of an 800-man garrison at Biltine, 50 miles north of Abeche, a French stronghold for the past year.

Libya and France agreed to pull all their troops out of Chad within 45 days, beginning Sept. 26, but France said that until this weekend Libya had not begun withdrawing.