Lebanon admitted last night that its artillery is taking part in the shelling of Israeli positions on Mt. Dov on the western slopes of Mt. Hermon which have been under attack by Syrian units in the so-called “Fatahland” section of southeastern Lebanon. Israeli guns are returning the fire. Lebanon claimed that its artillery opened fire after Israeli shells landed on Lebanese territory.
Meanwhile, Syrian artillery continued to shell Israeli positions on Mt. Hermon during the night and early this morning. Israeli forces returned the fire. There were no Israeli casualties. Israeli forces on the Golan Heights were placed on full alert today as a result of intelligence indicating that the Syrians may be preparing to launch frontal attacks along various sections of the cease-fire lines.
A senior military source said that possibility would increase if the current efforts to reach an Israeli-Syrian disengagement accord ended in total failure. The Syrians have large forces concentrated on the northern front and are deploying new forces behind the lines, possibly to exert pressure on Israel for territorial concessions, the source said. He said Syrian military action could come in the form of a general attack or an escalation of the war of attrition.
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The Archive of the Jewish Telegraphic Agency includes articles published from 1923 to 2008. Archive stories reflect the journalistic standards and practices of the time they were published.
