Seven Israeli soldiers were wounded today when an explosive charge detonated close to their vehicle on the coastal road near Damour south of Beirut, a military spokesman reported. They were the latest casualties since last Thursday when one Israeli soldier was killed and nine were wounded as they were caught in cross-fire between warring Druze villagers and Christian Phalangists in the Shouf mountain region east of Beirut.
Lebanon, meanwhile, has become a battleground again. Heavy fighting, described as the worst since the height of the war last summer, broke out in Beirut and in the Shouf mountains to the east Thursday and continued almost without interruption today.
Christian radio stations in Beirut reported that shells and Soviet-made Grad missiles were falling on Christian east Beirut, mainly from areas in the surrounding hills held by Syrian forces. According to the reports, 24 persons were killed in Beirut yesterday and more than 100 were wounded. Moslem west Beirut was also hit by artillery and mortar shells.
The fighting in and around Beirut appeared to be between Moslem and Christian militias. The Lebanese government appealed to the United States Friday night to intercede to end the shelling. Government officials told U.S. special envoy Morris Draper who is in Beirut that the situation was “dangerous and critical.” They said some of the shelling was indiscriminate but were unable to pin-point which groups were responsible.
Government sources quoted Draper as saying that efforts were being made to deal with the situation but did not elaborate. As was the pattern in previous outbreaks in the Lebanese capital, brief cease-fires were followed by renewed barrages.
Some sources suggested that the fighting was triggered by the accord reached between Israel and Lebanon. But the shooting started a day before the Israeli Cabinet agreed in principle to the plan drafted by U.S. Secretary of State George Shultz after nearly two weeks of shuttling between Jerusalem and Beirut.
Israel had expressed concern during the negotiations that the Lebanese army was not capable of maintaining peace for long between the private militias maintained by Christian and Moslem groups or between rival elements within each group.
Meanwhile, concern was expressed by Christian villagers in south Lebanon that the agreement worked out by Shultz reduced the power and authority of Maj. Saad Haddad and left them vulnerable to attack by Syrian-backed leftist militias. The latter were said to be eager to wreak vengeance on villagers who collaborated with Israel in recent months.
Israeli Chief of Staff Gen. Moshe Levi met with Haddad today for the second time since Friday. They reportedly discussed “routine and current matters.” Two Israeli army officers later visited the Ansar POW camp in south Lebanon where some 5,000 prisoners, mainly Palestinians, are still held. Haddad inspected units of his 1,200-man Christian militia and stressed that training would proceed normally despite the uncertainty of his future position.
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.
