Israeli security circles are maintaining a high alert in the northern regions of the country in anticipation of terrorist activities this week. The circles believe that die-hard terrorist splinter groups opposed to the Palestine Liberation Organization for being too “soft” toward the U.S. and Israel may try to undermine Yasir Arafat’s appearance at the UN General Assembly by launching a new wave of terror against civilians in Israel and the administered territories.
Some of these extremist groups, like the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine, which bolted from the PLO after the Rabat summit, claim that Arafat has been coopted by more moderate Arab leaders such as King Faisal of Saudi Arabia and President Anwar Sadat of Egypt.
Israeli authorities have also decided on precautionary measures in the administered areas in anticipation of a strike tomorrow by West Bankers when the UN General Assembly convenes for the debate on the Palestine issue. Newspapers in Arab countries today called upon West Bank residents to launch such a strike, but Israeli military authorities have warned West Bank notables against interrupting normal life in the area.
ALERT FOR LETTERBOMBS, BOOBY-TRAPS
At the same time, Israelis have been warned to be on the alert for letter bombs, booby-trapped transistor radios and children’s toy fountain pens containing explosives. A Lebanese newspaper recently accused Israel of planting booby trapped pens in southern Lebanon and said one Lebanese civilian was injured by such a device. A military spokesman emphatically denied the charge and suggested that it may have been motivated by terrorists seeking to prepare the psychological ground for the use of similar devices in “retaliation.”
Yesterday, Israeli Air Force jets attacked terrorist strongholds in southeastern Lebanon and returned safely to their bases, a military spokesman announced. He said the attacks lasted several minutes and were part of coordinated preventive action against terrorist bases and approach routes used by infiltrators trying to penetrate Israeli territory. He did not disclose the precise targets. Israeli artillery also shelled a number of terrorist targets in Fatahland during the night. One building was demolished in the Lebanese border village of A-Dahira north of Idmith. The building was used as a shelter for terrorists on their way to Israel for sabotage activity.
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