Israel Air Force jets carried out a four hour non-stop raid on Egyptian military targets along the West bank of the Suez Canal last night. The Egyptian Air Force retaliated today with a strike in northern Sinai in which one Israeli civilian was slightly injured and two civilian trucks were damaged.
A military spokesman described last night’s air raid as one of the heaviest blows delivered against Egypt since the June, 1967 Six-Day War. He said all Israeli planes returned safely. The Israeli jets bombed and strafed Egyptian artillery positions, tanks and military installation all along the 100-mile waterway, he said. The attacks were heaviest on targets opposite Kantara north of the Great Bitter Lake, and at El Ballah Island and Kirbit. Pilots reported encountering anti-aircraft and even some small arms fire but said the Egyptian defenses were not concentrated. They reported scoring direct hits and setting many fires.
A military spokesman said the raid was in retaliation for an Egyptian artillery attack along the southern reaches of the canal yesterday in which three Israeli soldiers were wounded, one fatally. Cairo radio acknowledge the Israeli attack but claimed that the planes were kept off target by Egyptian anti-aircraft fire and dropped their bombs harmlessly.
Today’s Egyptian counter-raid hit between Kantara and Baloosa. The injured civilian was working at a quarry near the road when he was hit by machine-gun bullets from a strafing plane. An Israeli spokesman said that no casualties or damage were sustained by Israeli military personnel or equipment.
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