Syrian Front Sparked over Weekend but Failed to Explode

The Syrian “tinder box” sparked over the weekend but failed to explode. Syrian forces initiated three shooting incidents Friday and Saturday. Israeli forces responded to the first one Friday–the firing of Russian-made Sager anti-tank missiles at an Israeli patrol–but did not return the fire when the Syrians lobbed a number of shells at Israeli positions in the northern Golan enclave later Friday or when they fired on the Israelheld section of the Kuneitra-Damascus road Saturday. Israeli forces suffered no casualties or damage.

An Israeli army spokesman denied today a Syrian allegation that an Israeli pilotless plane–“Drone”–was shot down by Syrian anti-aircraft fire and crashed in north Jordan. Israeli circles said nothing of the sort happened. It was quiet all day today on the Golan Heights. Israeli restraint is believed to have averted more serious incidents which the Syrians were apparently intent on provoking.

Purim festivities were held at the various Golan Heights settlements but only the local settlers attended. Visitors and tourists have been barred from the area. Israeli engineers have demolished the easternmost portion of the Damascus road near the cease-fire line. The action was taken to make a possible Syrian attack more difficult. The road is the only one suitable for heavy tanks.

It was revealed meanwhile that last Tuesday’s alert on the Syrian front was ordered on the basis of intelligence reports from the same sources that informed Israel that an attack was imminent on the eve of the Yom Kippur War. This was disclosed Friday by Information Minister-designate Shimon Peres in an interview published in Maariv. The newspaper said the source was the United States government and said the warning was most probably delivered directly to Premier Golda Meir. According to Maariv, the U.S. information was detailed and confirmed other indications that the Syrians were preparing to resume fighting.