A heavily armed band of saboteurs was intercepted and captured by an Israeli patrol in the Arava region of the Negev south of the Dead Sea on Tuesday, a military spokesman disclosed today. Two were killed and six taken alive in a fight. The gang, believed to be affiliated with the Palestine Liberation Organization, crossed into Israel with two guides and several camels loaded with high explosives. A military spokesman said they were headed for the Hebron area when Israeli forces surrounded them in a gully. They refused to surrender.
In addition, the Israeli patrol seized a quantity of “button” mines and anti-vehicle mines, Russian-made Kalatchnikof assault rifles, Czech-made submachine guns and, for the first time, a French-made weapon, a nine millimeter mortar. A military spokesman said the capture probably averted a major act of sabotage aimed at civilians like last November’s Machane Yehuda market bombing in Jerusalem.
An Israeli soldier was killed yesterday while on duty in the Golan Heights. Jordanians fired on Israeli forces in the vicinities of Kfar Ruppin and Shaar Hagolan last night. The fire was returned. There were no Israeli casualties.
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