Israeli Plane is Downed in Attack on Egyptian Artillery and Missile Sites

Israel Air Force planes attacked Egyptian artillery positions and Soviet Samoz ground-to-air missile batteries along the Suez Canal today after an Israeli fighter-bomber was shot down by Egyptian anti-aircraft fire in an earlier sortie. A military spokesman said the Israeli pilot was seen bailing out and was taken prisoner by the Egyptians.

According to the spokesman, the attack on the missile sites and gun emplacements lasted 20 minutes during which attacking Israeli jets penetrated Egyptian territory to a depth of nearly 20 miles west of the canal. The attack began at 6:15 p.m. local time.

Earlier in the day Israeli jets were called in to attack Egyptian artillery and anti-tank guns that were shelling Israeli positions at A1 Shat, near Port Tewfik at the canal’s southern entrance. An Egyptian communique confirmed the capture of the pilot of the downed Israeli aircraft.

U.S. OFFICIALS CLOSELY FOLLOWING DEVELOPMENTS FOR POSSIBLE SOVIET INVOLVEMENT

In Washington, United States officials carefully followed reports of the latest Israeli air strike across the Suez Canal. Official Washington is interested because of the possibility that Soviet technicians and members of the Soviet armed forces are manning the complex electronic and radar guidance equipment at the missile site hit by Israeli planes. According to sources in Washington, the Israeli jet downed earlier in the day was hit by an S.A.M. 2 missile of more advanced design than the “flying telegraph poles” fired at U.S. pilots over North Vietnam.

(U.S. authorities acknowledged that the presence of Soviet military advisers and technicians in Egypt represented a potential source of escalation crisis. However, the information available to the U.S. Government was said to indicate that Soviet personnel have limited their activity to troop training. It was conceded that some of the “training” might be in progress at anti-aircraft positions along the Suez Canal.)