Israeli military police subdued a riot yesterday by Egyptian prisoners of war in a camp in central Israel. One POW was fatally wounded and an Israeli MP officer was injured, not seriously. An inquiry committee has been appointed, according to regulations, to investigate the riot. The International Red Cross has been notified and Israel has offered to return the body of the dead POW to Egypt.
The riot broke out as MPs started to search the POW barracks for tools or other instruments illegally in possession of the prisoners. The MPs were attacked by the prisoners with metal bars, bottles and other objects. The POWs tried to break out after one of them set fire to the barracks causing some damage. The MPs fired warning shots at that point, accidentally hitting one POW in the head. The camp was quiet by evening and the POWs were transferred to other cells.
The decision to search the barracks was prompted by last Sunday’s escape of three Syrian POWs from the camp, two of whom are still at large. The camp authorities notified the Egyptian POW officers in advance that a search would be carried out. When the MPs arrived they found the barracks barricaded and encountered resistance.
There are 61 Egyptian POWs in Israel, all of them captured during various operations that preceded the Aug. 1970 cease-fire. Egypt holds 10 Israeli POWs. There are 39 Syrian POWs in Israel and three Israeli pilots are held by Syria.
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