Israeli and Syrian forces exchanged fire intermittently for more than five hours today. Syrian gunners fired hundreds of shells but an Israeli military spokesman said the incoming fire was not as heavy as on some days earlier this week while the Israeli reply was heavier. No casualties were reported.
The Syrians opened fire at 10:30 a.m. local time with artillery, tanks and recoilless cannon and Israeli forces replied with various types of weapons including long range 175 mm. artillery, the spokesman said. The shelling was centered on Israeli positions in the Syrian enclave captured during the Yom Kippur War and in the southern section of the cease-fire line. The shooting ended at 3:30 p.m. It was the tenth successive day of fire exchanges on the Syrian front.
Gen. Ensio Siilasvuo, commander of the United Nations Emergency Force (UNEF) met with Israeli Chief of Staff Gen. David Elazar in the latter’s office here this morning. The meeting was described as routine and no communique was issued. A UNEF spokesman said later that the UNEF commander reviewed the situation along the Israeli-Egyptian cease-fire lines and reported on the inspections carried out by UNEF teams on both sides of the line. He denied a report that Siilasvuo had relayed a request by the Egyptian Chief of Staff, Gen. Mohammed Gemassy, to meet with Elazar.
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