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Israeli Air Force Blasts Egyptian Military Positions on Gulf of Suez Again

September 16, 1969
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Israeli Air Force jets blasted Egyptian military positions on the Gulf of Suez for the third successive day yesterday. The principal targets were Ras Ghareb and Ras Zafarana, the same ones hit by Israeli tanks and armored infantry in a 10-hour raid Sept. 9 and subsequently attacked again by air.

A military spokesman said the aim of the continuing air assaults was to prevent the Egyptians from repairing the radar and other military installations damaged by the first raid. Israeli military officials said over the week-end that the repeated strikes were intended to demonstrate to the Egyptians the vulnerability of important military targets on their soil.

According to an Israeli military spokesman, Egyptian violations of the cease-fire continued over the week-end in the Suez Canal zone. An Israeli officer, Lt. Joseph Shaham, was fatally wounded by a sniper’s bullet near Kantara at the canal’s northern end. (Cairo claimed today that Israeli planes attempted to raid positions on the Gulf of Suez but were driven off.)

An Arab saboteur was killed and an Israeli settler suffered an arm wound when guerrillas attacked Nahal Golan in the Golan Heights this morning with bazookas, small arms and mortar fire. The attacks came from Syrian territory. Another Arab guerrilla was killed and two Israeli soldiers were wounded Sunday in a skirmish on the Golan Heights. The clash occurred when the guerrillas attacked Israeli soldiers dismantling a road mine. Another mine was found on the body of the dead saboteur.

Several 120 mm. mortar shells were fired at Kibbutz Gesher in the northern Beisan Valley Sunday from Jordanian territory. No casualties were reported.

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