DAMASCUS, Sept. 12 (Xinhuanet) -- Syria has agreed to allow a chief UN investigator to question its senior security officials as part of the probe into the assassination of a former Lebanese premier, the official SANA news agency reported Monday.

    Chief UN investigator Detlev Mehlis will meet several Syrian security officials to hear their testimonies on the murder of RafikHariri, SANA said without elaborating.

    Mehlis is expected to meet Syrian Interior Minister Ghazi Kanaan, former Syrian military intelligence chief in Lebanon, his successor Rustom Ghazaleh who left Lebanon along with Syrian troopsin April, and two key aides in Beirut Mohammed Makhlouf and Jamaa Jamaa.

    The German prosecutor arrived in Damascus early Monday and held talks with Riad Daoudi, legal advisor at the foreign ministry, SANAsaid.

    Mehlis left Damascus in the afternoon, and will return next week, SANA added.

    Syrian President Bashar al-Assad has pledged full cooperation with the UN investigation team, saying Mehlis could question anyone.

    Hariri was killed in a car bomb blast in Beirut on Feb. 14, which sparked massive anti-Syrian protests and led to Syrian troops' withdrawal from Lebanon in April after 39 years of militarypresence.

    Many Lebanese blamed Syria and its Lebanese allies for the killing, but Damascus denied any role.

    The investigation came to a breakthrough as Lebanon charged fourpro-Syrian generals with the assassination earlier this month afterMehlis strongly recommended their arrest. Enditem