The Syrian intelligence service began withdrawing from its headquarters in Beirut on Tuesday as part of the pullout process, witnesses said.

Members of the intelligence service were seen loading a truck with furniture and personal effects from a building along the Mediterranean coast.

Military intelligence officers in civilian clothing supervised the evacuation of all three Syrian intelligence offices in the capital.

Syria has been under mounting international pressure to pull its 14,000 troops out of Lebanon.

Syrian President Bashar al-Assad announced a two-stage pullout plan earlier this month. Around 4,000 Syrian troops had withdrawn to Syria.

Lebanese security sources say that the Syrians will complete the first stage of the pullout in the next couple of days.