Two Israeli soldiers were wounded in renewed artillery and tank battles on the Syrian front today. Another Israeli soldier died today of wounds he sustained during heavy shelling by the Syrians last night. He was identified as Hanan Balanero, 24, of Rishon Le Zion. Today was the 17th consecutive day of warfare on the Syrian front. A military spokesman said the Syrians opened fire at 9:30 a.m. local time and the shooting continued throughout most of the day despite efforts by United Nations truce observers to effect a cease-fire. At 3 p.m. the front was reported quiet.
According to the military spokesman, today’s battles developed in the same manner as those of previous days. The Syrians concentrated their initial attack on Israeli positions in the southern section of the Syrian enclave captured by Israel in the Yom Kippur War. Later they escalated their shooting to cover the northern sector of the enclave and the southern Golan Heights. Israeli forces returned the fire. The Golan Heights were closed to civilian traffic today.
Israeli army Chief of Staff Gen. David Elazar warned today that as long as shooting continued on the Syrian front there was danger of war breaking out anew. Elazar spoke at the conclusion of divisional exercises in the north.
The Archive of the Jewish Telegraphic Agency includes articles published from 1923 to 2008. Archive stories reflect the journalistic standards and practices of the time they were published.
