Israel has rejected Syrian accusations that Israeli intelligence, using Lebanese operatives, had engineered a series of bomb blasts and explosions aboard buses in Syrian towns last week. Some 150 persons were reported killed in the bomb attacks.
Israeli intelligence sources here termed the charges, broadcast on the state-controlled Damascus Radio, a baseless lie and a transparent attempt by the government to cover up internal Syrian problems.
Damascus Radio accused Israeli agents operating from inside Lebanon of responsibility for the blasts. Official security sources quoted by the radio said the explosions took place on intercity buses and that innocent civilians had been killed.
The Christian Voice of Lebanon Radio in Beirut said more than 150 persons were killed or wounded in eight explosions, two at the Mediterranean port of Tartus, two in the central city of Homs, and the rest in other smaller towns.
A previously unknown group calling itself the October 17th Movement telephoned a Western news agency saying its was responsible for recent bomb attacks in Syria. The anonymous telephone caller said the group represented the Syrian opposition.
JTA has documented Jewish history in real-time for over a century. Keep our journalism strong by joining us in supporting independent, award-winning reporting.
The Archive of the Jewish Telegraphic Agency includes articles published from 1923 to 2008. Archive stories reflect the journalistic standards and practices of the time they were published.
