A two-hour artillery duel erupted on the Egyptian front today. An Israeli military spokesman said it was started by the Egyptians who aimed automatic weapons and artillery fire at Israeli positions on the west bank of the Suez Canal. He said Israeli forces returned the fire and scored direct hits on a number of Egyptian tanks. The spokesman reported in addition, three other shooting incidents on the Egyptian front and one of the Syrian front today.
He said that Egyptian forces penetrated into Israel-held territory near the 133 kilometer marker on the Cairo-Suez road south of the Bitter Lakes at 6 a.m. local time but were repulsed by Israeli troops. About an hour later, Egyptian troops southwest of Ismailia opened fire on an Israeli patrol. The fire was returned. Shortly after noon, Egyptian forces opened fire again south of Ismailia. Israeli troops returned the fire. There were no Israeli casualties any of the incidents, the spokesman said. He reported that several shells were fired at Israeli positions on the Syrian front in the Mizrat Bet Jan region of the Golan Heights.
JTA has documented Jewish history in real-time for over a century. Keep our journalism strong by joining us in supporting independent, award-winning reporting.
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.
