Nine Arab Guerrillas Killed, Captured Commandos Trained by Egypt

Nine Arab guerrillas were killed and three were wounded and captured in several encounters last night and early this morning between the Egyptian-trained fedayeen and Israeli military patrols. Meanwhile, two more Israelis died and a number were wounded in raids by the Arab commandos and in the action been patrols and the suicide squads.

Questioning of the prisoners, in the presence of United Nations observers, revealed that they had jumped off on their terrorizing mission from the northern portion of the Gaza strip after a final briefing from an Egyptian Army captain named Mustaphe Gamish. Their orders were to blow bridges, mine roads, fire on traffic, kill Israelis and then return to the Gaza strip or, if that proved impossible, to make their way across Israel to Jordan. All of the guerrillas who were killed or captures were armed with Swedish submachine guns and carried extra loaded magazines. They were dressed in khaki clothes, canvas shoes and stocking caps.

The Arab gangs attacked Shafir, a settlement near Beertuvia, closer to the Jordan border than Egypt. At Ein Hashofet a motorcyclist was attacked on the road and wounded. At Gal-On, in the Lachish area southwest of Jerusalem, and at Kazioth, a settlement in the Nitzana-El Auja area, fedayeen attacked. At Kezioth an Israeli was killed. The second Israeli fatality today was a soldier killed in a clash with the fedayeen cornered at Yad Mordechai. Others were caught north of Askelon and in the Lachish area.