Three Arab terrorists who infiltrated from Lebanon were killed at noon today in a clash with Israeli forces near Kibbutz Iftah in Upper Galilee. There were no Israeli casualties. The trio is believed to have penetrated the Israeli border during the night or early this morning.
A massive manhunt is continuing throughout northern Israel for another group of terrorists believed to have entered Israel two weeks ago but who have so far eluded security forces. Chief of Staff Gen. Mordechai Gur, who visited the site of today’s clash said “We do not know how many of the other infiltrators remain inside Israel but the fact is that no acts of terror have occurred until now.”
An Israeli soldier was wounded yesterday when his patrol came under terrorist fire in the Har Dov region at the junction of the Israeli, Syrian and Lebanese borders. The fire was returned. Israeli artillery shelled terrorist concentrations in the “Fatahland” region of southeastern Lebanon last night in what was described as “preventive Are” to deter infiltration.
A full alert was declared in Upper Galilee when the infiltrators’ tracks were spotted this morning. Police and army units combed the area and sound trucks drove through towns and settlements warning the populace that terrorists were at large in the region. Schools, shops and markets remained open but were under heavy guard. When contact was finally made with the terrorists the area around Kibbutz Utah was cordoned off. Three Kalachnikof assault rifles and ammunition were found on the bodies. There were no explosive or pamphlets that might have indicated the nature of the terrorists’ mission.
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