Two Israeli soldiers were slightly wounded today in south Lebanon when a roadside bomb exploded as they were passing in a patrol vehicle. The bomb, detonated by remote control from a nearby fruit orchard, destroyed the vehicle. Israeli forces searched the area for the attackers.
In another incident today, a hand-grenade exploded in Sidon as on IDF patrol car passed by. There were no injuries to the soldiers or damage to their car. Israeli troops briefly detained scores of passersby for questioning.
Meanwhile, Israeli naval gunboats shelled PLO positions along the Lebanon coast south of Tripoli today for the second consecutive day. Artillery fire was returned from the shore toward the Israeli vessels, but there were no casualties or damage to the gunboats.
A four-day cease-fire in Beirut was broken today as Druze and Christian Phalangist forces engaged in heavy clashes. American marine positions in Beirut come under fire and U.S. naval gunboats offshore shelled the source of the shelling.
In a related incident, a French soldier was killed in west Beirut today when his patrol came under fire from the occupants of a car which sped past the patrol’s position. His death brings the number of killed among the French contingent of the multinational force to 77.
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