Israel Air Force jets attacked Egyptian military targets in the northern sector of the Suez Canal zone today. A military spokesman said all planes returned safely. Two Israeli soldiers were slightly injured in the Golan Heights yesterday when they touched off mines planted by guerrillas from across the border.
An Israeli military spokesman denied a report in the semi-official Cairo newspaper Al Ahram today of heavy artillery duels all along the Suez Canal during the past 24 hours. The newspaper said direct hits were scored by Egyptian gunners and claimed that the fighting was “highly exhausting for Israel.” The Israeli spokesman said there was no major fighting along the waterway during the past 24 hours. He said the last Egyptian attack occurred on Dec. 14 when commandos killed one Israeli soldier in an ambush, wounded a second and kidnapped an Israeli officer.
Al Ahram also claimed that Israeli forces have suffered 100 dead or wounded in fighting in the past 24 hours. Israeli circles said that this and other “extravagant” claims by Al Ahram and other Egyptian newspapers were intended to build up Egypt’s stature at the forthcoming Arab summit conference at Rabat. They called the Egyptian claims “papyrus victories.”
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