DAMOUR /Lebanon/, October 27 (Itar-Tass) - The al-Damour bridge, the first of the eight bridges Russian military engineers are restoring in Lebanon, opened for car traffic on Friday. The first trucks have already passed the bridge.

"We witness a historic event - the opening of the al-Damour bridges, rebuilt by Russian servicemen in Lebanon in a short period. I'm sure, it will become a true symbol of Russian-Lebanese friendship," Russian army logistics chief, Deputy Defense Minister Vladimir Isakov stated at the opening ceremony.

"The results of the accomplished work suggest that the battalion will be able to fulfill the tasks of helping Lebanon, thus making a contribution to the solution of the most pressing problem for the country at the present time - the rebuilding of transport infrastructure. It will facilitate the return to peaceful life, revive the economy and create conditions for rebuilding and further development," the deputy defense minister said.

In all, the Russian battalion will rebuild eight bridges in Lebanon, Russian Defense Minister Sergei Ivanov said earlier on Friday. Initially, Russia planned to rebuild six bridges.

"When we were sending the 100th bridge building battalion to Lebanon, it brought along everything necessary for restoring eight bridges. Initially, it was planned to build six bridges. After the Lebanese military saw the quality of our bridges and their reliability, they asked us to help them rebuild another two," Ivanov said after a meeting with senators at the Federation Council upper house of the Russian parliament.