Israelis Repulse Raid by Egyptian Commandos; Israeli Jets Shoot Down Two Soviet Bombers

A military spokesman said today that Israeli forces repulsed a midnight raid by a large party of Egyptian commandos on a position in the southern section of the Suez Canal zone. He said the Egyptians were driven back within “minutes” leaving the bodies of three soldiers behind while two more bodies were seen floating on the canal. The Israeli position sustained no casualties or damage, the spokesman said. An Israeli spokesman said the Egyptian raiding party left behind military equipment including two bazookas, Russian-made Kalachnikof rifles and flare pistols. Cairo radio claimed today that a 200-man Egyptian force crossed the canal, destroyed an Israeli position and killed all of its defenders. The force returned safely, the Egyptians said. They described the raid as “the first of its kind” since the 1967 war. It was accompanied by a heavy artillery bombardment of Israeli positions. An Israeli spokesman said the artillery fire was returned and Israeli jets successfully attacked the Egyptian gun positions at about 1:30 a.m. local time and returned safely to their bases.

Israel shot down two Soviet-made Ilyushin-28 bombers which raided El Arish in the northern Sinai yesterday. The Israelis said the Egyptian planes dropped their bombs on a populated part of the Arab town but killed only a flock of sheep and destroyed a cowshed, an animal quarantine station and an ice factory. El Arish is about 90 miles south of Tel Aviv. Syrian Air Force jets raided an Israeli position in the Golan Heights yesterday. According to Damascus they inflicted “heavy losses and casualties.” An Israeli military spokesman reported that four Syrian MIG-21s attempted to bomb a hilltop bunker in the Gesher region but missed their target and fled.