Widespread acts of sabotage last night wrecked a section of the Jerusalem-Tel Aviv railway line near Beth Shemesh, damaged the water reservoir at Almagor, a settlement near the Syrian border, and damaged road construction equipment on the Golan Heights, near the Israel-Syrian cease-fire line.
The blasted bodies of two Arab terrorists were found near the scene of the railroad sabotage where, it is believed, they accidentally stepped on mines left behind along the former Israel-Jordan frontier. Two hand grenades and two Russian-type submachineguns were found nearby. Railroad service to and from Jerusalem was delayed, but returned to normal by noon today after squads repaired the damage.
The reservoir at Almagor, built five years ago of re-enforced concrete, was breached by an explosion last night resulting in a water shortage for the settlement. Pamphlets in Hebrew and Arabic, signed by El Fatah, the Syrian terrorist organization, were found near the scene of the explosion. A similar explosion which wrecked a pumping station near S’dom on the Dead Sea last week is under investigation.
The Golan Heights incident, which damaged road building equipment, occurred about a mile and a half from the cease-fire line. Footprints and El Fatah pamphlets were found nearby.
Friday, one of two Israeli planes on patrol south of the Suez Canal was shot down today by Egyptian anti-aircraft fire. An Israeli spokesman said there was no word as to the fate of the occupants of the downed plane, a pilot and a navigator. The plane crashed into the Suez Gulf about 15 miles south of the Port Tewilk and about five miles from the eastern bank, held by the Israelis.
Israeli authorities have asked the International Red Cross to investigate the fate of the two Israeli fliers. Meanwhile, an air-sea search by Israeli units turned up a rubber lifeboat and a navigator’s helmet, but no sign of the men. The master of a Greek ship in the vicinity was questioned without results. Israel has asked the Red Cross to find out if the men, who were seen parachuting after their plane was hit by anti-aircraft fire, have fallen into Egyptian hands.
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.
