A Palestinian battalion of the Syrian army has entered southern Lebanon and has established positions on the ridges opposite Har Dov, a strategic spur on the western slopes of Mt. Hermon overlooking “Fatahland” which is occupied by Israeli forces. According to intelligence received during the past few days, the Palestinian unit is centered in a triangle formed by the villages of Shuba, Shabaa and El Hamam, Israeli sources reported.
Defense Minister Shimon Peres said last night that the entry of the Palestinian battalion into Lebanon was a “Syrian provocation aimed at torpedoing any negotiations and arrangements with the Egyptians.” The Defense Minister, speaking at Kibbutz Yifat in the Jezreel Vallay, said the Syrians were seeking a foothold in the Har Dov region in order to threaten Israeli forces there.
He attributed the recent upsurge of terrorist activity in the region to an attempt by the Syrian authorities and the Palestine Liberation Organization to create a military provocation aimed at sabotaging political negotiations between Israel and Egypt. According to Peres, Syria is trying to drag Egypt into a new confrontation with Israel and the PLO opposes any negotiations lest its own influence would be diminished.
BATTALION IS WELL ENTRENCHED
The Palestinian battalion was reported to be well entrenched and to have road communications with Syria. Several reports reaching Israel indicated that terrorists hit by Israeli forces recently were part of the battalion. It is well equipped, has an artillery unit and armored troop carriers and is better trained than the Lebanese army, the sources said.
The battalion has established logistics headquarters in the northern salient of “Fatahland” and has fanned out into the Shuba area in the southern sector. Its immediate objective apparently is to tie down large Israeli forces and its long range aim seems to be open to a new front against Israel should large scale hostilities break out, the sources said.
Peres said the Palestine battalion was trained by the Syrian army and Lebanon is too weak to do anything about its presence. “We regret to watch Lebanon in its weakness. Our political aim is not to undermine what remains of Lebanese sovereignty in her own territory,” Peres said.
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