Yesterday’s Israeli raid on a guerrilla stronghold in Lebanon produced a hero in the person of the late Lt. Shlomo Cohen who was killed in action while storming an El Fatah machine gun nest. The operation was successful although the Israeli soldiers encountered fierce resistance and had to battle on hilly terrain that was advantageous to the enemy. Five members of Lt. Cohen’s unit were wounded and were evacuated by helicopter. At least 12 guerrillas were reported killed, many more wounded and their supplies and arsenal of weapons and explosives destroyed.
The target of the attack was Djebel Rus, a village on the south slopes of Mt. Hermon about five miles inside Lebanese territory. The Israeli forces were landed by helicopter and had the initial advantage of surprise. But the guerrillas commanded the high ground and had a network of trenches for defense. Lt. Gohen led his men against a machine gun position which they quickly destroyed, eye-witness accounts stated. He then turned to attack a second machine gun but caught in cross-fire and fatally wounded. The second machine-gun position was destroyed by another unit and the guerrilla base was razed.
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