Israel Air Force Jets attacked Egyptian military positions in the Suez Canal zone and guerrilla encampments in Jordan this morning for the second time in two days. A military spokesman said that all planes returned safely to their bases. The air strike in Jordan followed a night of artillery exchanges during which Jordanian and possibly Iraqi guns shelled Yardena settlement in the Beisan Valley. No Israeli casualties were reported.
Israeli sources said today that Egypt’s Defense Minister, Gen. Mouhamed Fawzi, is conducting a personal investigation into the failure of Sunday’s large-scale Egyptian commando raid on Israeli positions on the east bank of the Suez Canal. Israeli sources claimed that the assault by about 130 men was quickly repulsed and that the Egyptians fled across the canal leaving two dead on the Israeli side and three more bodies on their own side of the waterway. Cairo hailed the attack as a major victory but later communiques were unclear and contradictory, the Israeli circles said.
Twelve hours after the action, Cairo announced officially that two of their soldiers were missing, contradicting earlier claims that Egyptian forces suffered no casualties. Later it was learned that Gen. Fawzi demanded a full report from the officer in charge of the operation. The Egyptian defense chief was reported to be annoyed by false reports from local commanders that must be amended later, the Israeli circles said.
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