Israeli circles viewed the incident of yesterday evening when two Egyptian patrol boats attacked two Israeli patrol boats north of Ras Sudar in the Gulf of Suez as a local isolated incident and do not consider it to be any escalation towards more action. Routine calm returned to the area, according to an Israeli military spokesman.
The two Israeli sailors hit in the first volley fired by crew members of the Egyptian boats were slightly injured and were not hospitalized. They were treated at an army first aid station. During the clash the Israeli patrol boats hit one of the Egyptian vessels but did not sink it. The Egyptian boat was towed back to Egypt and the Israeli boats returned safely to their bases. At no time did either the Israeli or the Egyptian boats cross the cease-fire lines.”
Meanwhile, a police spokesman said today that a Lebanese fishing vessel allegedly carrying a cargo of pure hashish was seized in Israeli territorial waters. The vessel with about a ton of hashish aboard was halted near the resort town of Nahariya. According to police, four men–a Lebanese and four Egyptians–are being held for questioning in Haifa. Their names were not immediately released.
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