The Syrian army has deployed an 8000-strong division off Lebanon's northern borders with the aim of enforcing counter-terrorism cooperation with its neighbor.

The daily al-Akhbar on Saturday quoted an unidentified ranking Lebanese Army officer as saying the Syrian move aims at achieving five goals.

Such goals, according to the report, include besieging anti-regime factions operating in Syria in preparation to "uproot them."

Syria also wants to underline "seriousness of its commitments to the international community" in combating terrorism and blocking the infiltration of terrorists to Iraq, the report said.

The move aims at "reminding the Lebanese (people) and the world that militarily-mighty Syria is here," according to the report.

The Syrian move helps in "boosting the morale of the Syrian army" after its withdrawal from Lebanon in 2005.

The deployment within three-kilometers from the Lebanese borders, leads to "security coordination" between Syria and Lebanon that "would enable the Syrians, sooner or later, to coordinate with the information branch being the Lebanese department most interested in counter terrorism," the report noted.

It was referring to the intelligence branch of the Internal Security Forces.

The report said Syrian troops off Lebanon's northern borders were not on alert as soldiers have been granted off service permits.