The government has officially confirmed a report widely published abroad during last July’s Entebbe episode that five young terrorists, three Arabs and two Germans, were foiled by Israeli intelligence in January, 1976, in a plan to shoot down an El Al plane.
An official statement issued here said the incident occurred “abroad.” Privately, sources, here acknowledge that the reports which placed the incident in Nairobi, Kenya, were correct. The story emerged during the Entebbe operation because the Entebbe Air France hijackers demanded, among other things, the release by Kenya of five terrorists. By then, however, the five had been transferred to Israel, informed sources here said.
Israel is not prepared to say officially that the incident took place in Kenya so as not to embarrass the Kenyan government which apparently cooperated with Israeli intelligence in foiling the attack.
The official statement, issued by the Prime Minister’s Military Secretary, Brig. Gen. Efraim Poran, said: “Because of counter-terror considerations it is impossible to publish any more information at this stage.” Sources said Israel released the story at this time because the family of one of the arrested terrorists, a German, was threatening to give it to the world press and Israel feared that publication would create hostility. The trial of the five will be held in a military court. Local lawyers have been appointed for the defense.
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