Israel Denies Entering Lebanon

An army spokesman denied today a report from Lebanon that Israeli forces had occupied a hill on the Lebanese slopes of Mt. Hermon. The spokesman said that no Israeli force has entered Lebanon but that Syrian troops have been using the Lebanese side of the 9200-foot mountain to attack Israeli forces occupying the peak and to mine an access road built by Israeli engineers.

Two Israeli soldiers were killed by Syrian artillery fire yesterday afternoon. They were identified today as Sgt. Shmuel Ouzieli of Raanana and Sgt. Abraham Kouperstein of Haifa.

Syrian artillery resumed shelling the southern sector of the Yom Kippur War enclave and the southern Golan Heights this morning. Several shells were also fired at Israeli positions on Mt. Hermon. Israeli forces returned the fire. As of noon there were no reports of Israeli casualties. Israeli tanks emplaced on top of Mt. Hermon have scored direct hits on two Syrian tanks and a lorry in the Arana village area, a military spokesman reported. The Syrian radar station at Zabadani, some 40 kilometers east of Mt. Hermon, was put out of action by Israeli Air Force jets Friday, it was reported.

Israeli military sources said the Syrians suffered heavy casualties in Friday’s artillery and air force engagements. Syrian ambulances were seen evacuating casualties from positions on the front line and well behind the lines, the sources said. The Syrians were also reported to have abandoned their attempts to build a road up the slopes of Mt. Hermon because their building equipment has been destroyed by Israeli artillery and air attacks. Israeli forces have been alerted, however, for a possible Syrian attempt to gain territory occupied by Israel in other sectors.