Egypt today returned to Israel the remains of 19 Israeli soldiers killed in the Yom Kippur War. The remains were brought by truck convoy to a UN outpost in the buffer zone of the sun-baked Sinai desert and transferred with full military honors.
On hand to receive them were Defense Minister Ezer Weizman, Chief of Staff Gen. Mordechai Gur and the commanding general of the southern region. UN soldiers stood at attention as an Egyptian contingent presented the coffins to an Israeli honor guard. The chief chaplain of the Israeli army, Rabbi Gad Navon recited the kaddish.
The remains were taken to the Institute of Forensic Medicine in Tel Aviv for positive identification. According to the Egyptians, they were discovered during excavations to widen the Suez Canal. Some Israeli circles insist that only 14 Yom Kippur War dead are still missing and believe the figure of 19 may be due to an error by the Egyptians. The experts will try to solve the puzzle.
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