An Israeli raiding party attacked a terrorist installation near Tyre in Lebanon last night while Israeli naval units shelled shore installations. Lebanon claimed that the long-range Israeli artillery was also used, killing four Lebanese army officers and injuring one when a shall hit an army barracks. All Israeli soldiers returned safely.
In an apparent retaliation, Katyusha rockets were fired at Kiryat Shemona this morning injuring one man. Gabriel Shlomo, a 55-year-old father of seven, was injured while on his way to work at 6 a.m. An Israeli patrol was also fired upon today from Lebanese territory near Margaliyot, northeast of Kiryat Shemona. Fire was returned. No one was injured. This afternoon the Israel air force attacked an Arab terrorist command post north of Tyre. All Israeli planes returned safely to base.
Last night’s raid into Lebanon followed an attempt Sunday night by terrorists to infiltrate into Israel in which an Israeli soldier and one terrorist were killed.
An army spokesman said today that the Israeli unit raided a terrorist base on the outskirts of Tyre near the Ash El Batch refugee camp. He said the Israeli force which came from the sea totally surprised the terrorists, destroying the tent-covered bases and the equipment which included machineguns and mortars in trenches. Some terrorists may have also been injured in the raid, the spokesman said. He added that while the raid was in progress Israeli naval missile boats fired on other targets in southern Lebanon.
Meanwhile, it was learned that the two terrorists captured Sunday night were originally from East Jerusalem. Security officials said they had gone to Lebanon a few months ago via Jordan and there joined an El Fatah unit which trained them and sent them back to Israel to carry out acts of sabotage.
RAID NOT AIMED AT LEBANON
Defense Minister Shimon Peres stressed today that the raids were aimed against terrorists and not Lebanon. “We have no war with Lebanon,” he said at a ceremony in which special awards were given to excellent workers at Israel Aircraft Industries. Peres said if there are Lebanese casualties, it is because Lebanon has agreed to house the terrorists. He said Israel wanted to avoid civilian casualties but the fact is the terrorists have placed themselves into positions where they are surrounded by civilians.
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