Itzhak Salem, an Israeli soldier reported missing after a raid on a terrorist hideout in Talbeh village in southern Lebanon last week, is alive and well in a Lebanese prison. His capture and prisoner of war status was reported by Lebanese sources yesterday and confirmed by the International Red Cross.
Salem was part of an Israeli commando force that blew up a house in Talbeh that sheltered terrorists. An unspecified number of terrorists were killed in the action but no Israeli casualties were sustained, Salem became separated from his unit when he fell asleep during a rest stop on the return to Israel. While trying to find his way to the border he became lost. He was apprehended by Lebanese police when he entered a village in search of food.
SYRIAN TROOPS GOING TO LEBANON
Representatives of Israeli border settlements met with government authorities recently over reports that Syrian army units may soon be stationed in southern Lebanon, it was learned today. The settlers want added protection in that event. According to reports, the Syrian may send certain Palestinian units serving in their army to man the Lebanese-Israeli border, in which case the already tense situation along that border would deteriorate further.
Some settlers reportedly suggested that the entry of Syrian units into Lebanon would be sufficient cause for Israeli military intervention. Israeli authorities are said to take a serious view of such a development and would regard it as a violation of the Syrian-Israeli disengagement agreement. There have been no reports so far that Syrian troops have entered Lebanon.
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.
