Senior Israeli military officers charged today that officers and soldiers of the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) were cooperating fully with Palestinian terrorists in south Lebanon, allowing them, among other things, to retain bases in UNIFIL controlled territory.
Speaking to military correspondents, the officers, who were not identified, claimed that UNIFIL personnel are bribed to help the Palestinians in various ways and, in every instance, surrender to demands by the Palestine Liberation Organization. The officers said that this compliance was in addition to the smuggling of arms by UNIFIL officers to terrorist agents in Israel. Last Friday, Lt. Col. Alfred Gom of the Nigerian contingent, was arrested after two valises crammed with weapons and explosives were found in the trunk of his car as he drove to Jerusalem. A Senegalese Captain was arrested under similar circumstances last February.
Aside from this, the Israeli officers said, UNIFIL officers have been caught filming military positions in the Christian enclaves in south Lebanon. The Christian militia, commanded by Maj. Saad Haddod is supplied and supported by Israel against the terrorists. UNIFIL personnel buy winter clothing in Israel and turn it over to Palestinian terrorists, they said. But most serious they contended, is the fact that the terrorists have established 15 bases in the UNIFIL zone in south Lebanon surrounded by 500 meter strips that are out of bounds to UNIFIL troops. According to the Israelis, these bases are occupied by some 500-600 terrorists well equipped with mortars, self-propelled rocket grenades and other weapons.
According to Israeli sources the Tyre region controlled by terrorists, is a heavy arms base equipped with 130 mm. artillery with sufficient range to shell Acre on Haifa Bay.
Meanwhile, exchanges of fire between Israeli artillery and terrorist rockets continued across the border today for the second consecutive day. The terrorists lobbed Katyusha rockets into Upper Galilee this morning, causing some damage but no casualties among civilians who took to their bomb shelters. Israeli artillery shelled the terrorist bases.
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