Hundreds of thousands of Syrians staged a demonstration on Sunday in Syria's northern port city of Lattakia in support of President Bashar al-Assad who has been under intense international pressure to withdraw troops from Lebanon, the official SANA news agency reported.

The citizens took to the streets to show support for the national and pan-Arab stance adopted by Assad during his parliament address on March 5, SANA said.

Waving national flags and carrying pictures of Assad and his late father former President Hafez al-Assad, the crowds marched through main streets of Lattakia toward the Martyr Square.

"One, one, one, Syria and Lebanon are one," they chanted, claiming the sisterly relations with its tiny neighbor.

"With our souls and blood we sacrifice ourselves for Assad," the demonstrators said.

The Syrians staged a similar massive rally in the capital of Damascus on Wednesday, dedicating support to Assad.

Syria has been under mounting international pressures to carry out a full pullout in line with UN resolution 1559, particularly after the assassination of former Lebanese Prime Minister Rafik al-Hariri on Feb. 14 in a huge bomb explosion, which opposition has blamed on Syria, a charge Syria denies.

Resolution 1559, passed by the UN Security Council last year and co-sponsored by France and the United States, demanded a full withdrawal of all foreign troops, with a clear reference to Syria while not stated in name.

Visiting UN special envoy Terje Roed-Larsen said in a statement Saturday after meeting with Assad that the president has committed to withdrawing all Syrian troops and intelligence agents from Lebanon in fulfilment of resolution 1559.

The first contingent of Syrian forces, about 60 military vehicles carrying some 1,000 Syrian soldiers in full uniform besides dozens of military trucks loaded with equipment, crossed into the Syrian side of the border early Saturday.

Source: Xinhua