The Syrians have refused to release four Israel soldiers captured last December because Israel has not freed seven Syrian seamen captured when their vessel was wrecked near Haifa in the same month, Gen. E. L. M. Burns, United Nations truce chief in Palestine, said here today following his return from Damascus.
While he was in the Syrian capital, he visited the Israel prisoners. Gen. Burns also said that negotiations were continuing to have both sides release their prisoners.
The UN truce chief revealed that he had visited the Arab village of Kirat el Bakkara in Israel territory in the demilitarized zone along the Syrian border and had found that the villagers enjoyed freedom of movement and that their economic situation had improved.
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