Syrian tank gunners started shelling a tractor cultivating a hitherto undisputed field in the Tel Katzir Syrian near Lake Tiberias today after a relatively quiet morning. It was the sixth attack by Syrians in the area since January 1. No Israeli casualties were reported in the latest choking.
Israeli tanks returned the fire and destroyed two Syrian tanks and damaged another, an Israeli spokesman reported. The return fire silenced the tanks, he said. In another sector Syrians fired a number of automatic burst in covering Syrian penetrations into Israeli territory in the area.
The tank battle began within two minutes after the Syrian firing began at the tractor. Israeli tanks were moved into position and opened fire. One Syrian tank immediately caught fire. Other Syrian tanks joined the fray and the Israeli tank gunners trained fire on them. Heavy black smoke erupted from the tank positions and later it was reported that another Syrian tank had been destroyed. Crews of two Other tanks were seen running from their tanks after hits were scored on them.
Children of villages in the Tel Katzir area remained in shelters during the attack. The second incident involved small arms and automatic fire in the Ashmora area in the Huleh region. No casualties were reported from that area. Firing subsided and both sides agreed to a United Nations request for a cease-fire.
(In Washington, State Department officials said today that the United States was observing developments on the Israeli-Syrian frontier in connection with the shooting episodes of recent days.)
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