Israeli commandos struck at military positions inside Jordan today in their second punitive raid behind Arab lines in 24 hours. The targets were artillery positions and Katyusha rocket-launching sites in northern Jordan which bad been the sources of continued attacks on Israeli settlements and military patrols in the Beisan Valley. Before dawn Sunday, Israeli commandos smashed an Egyptian naval radar station on the Gulf of Suez, six miles south of Port Suez, a military spokesman said. Israeli jets carried out raids on Jordanian artillery positions opposite the Beisan Valley yesterday.
A spokesman said Egyptian commandos attempted another attack on Israeli positions on the east bank of the Suez Canal today but were repulsed, leaving three of their numbers dead. He said there was evidence that the Egyptians suffered additional casualties before they retreated. One Israeli soldier was slightly wounded. Egyptian artillery shelled Israeli positions across the canal during most of the night. Their fire was concentrated along the southern section of the waterway.
A military spokesman said two Arab saboteurs were killed last night in a clash with an Israeli patrol in the Golan Heights. Two Soviet-made rilles, an anti-vehicle mine and other sabotage equipment was found on the bodies.
Today’s raid on Jordan was centered in the vicinity of Abassiyeh village, an Arab guerrilla base about one mile behind the cease-fire demarcation line. The Israeli commandos damaged the Ghor Canal, Jordan’s main irrigation channel, after penetrating between heavily guarded Jordanian positions, A spokesman described the action as “clean.” He said there was no shooting and that the explosive charges planted were detonated only after the last Israeli re-crossed the Yarmuk River to safety. The Jordanian Radio claimed today that one civilian was killed, 16 persons were injured in the attacks.
The Egyptian Radio claimed that Egyptian commandos staged two raids across the Suez Canal today and killed 18 Israeli soldiers in one of them. It said the second raiding party found Israeli fortifications near El Ballah evacuated and blew up bunkers and fuel supplies. Israeli reports mentioned only one raid on a position south of Qantara The Israelis said the Egyptians crossed the canal under cover of an artillery barrage but succeeded only in reaching the outer perimeter of the Israeli position before they were repulsed.
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