Israeli Jets Attack Al Fatah Bases

Press, Volume CIX, Issue 31922, 25 February 1969, Page 17

Israeli Jets Attack Al Fatah Bases

(N.Z.P.4.-Keuter— Copyright? TEL AVIV, February 24. Within hours of a Cabinet announcement in Jerusalem that Israel would resort to “active selfdefence” against Arab guerrilla attacks, Israeli jet aircraft today struck hard at two central bases of the Arab terrorist organisation, Al Fatah, in Syria, both on the main highway between Damascus and Beirut.

A communique issued after the Cabinet meeting, which was attended by the Prime Minister (Mr Levi Eshkol), the Foreign Minister (Mr Abba Eban), the Minister of Defence (Mr Moshe Dayan) and the Military Chief of Staff (General Haim Bar-Lev), said the Israeli Government would make known its decision to “the most friendly governments.” The announcement was seen by observers in Jerusalem as tantamount to the approval of some sort of powerful military operation against Arab guerrillas in one of Israel’s neighbouring countries.

The communique said the Cabinet talks, held at Mr Eshkol’s home, were devoted almost entirely to the raid on an Israeli airliner at Zurich on Tuesday of last week, and the bomb blast in a Jerusalem supermarket on Friday.

The terse official statement said: “The Cabinet today discussed the outrages against Israel, both at home and abroad, carried out recently by sabotage organisations which are guided by the Arab States ... It is Israel’s duty to resort to active selfdefence.”

At the funeral today of the two young men killed in the supermarket attack—one of them was a South African from Cape Town—the Israeli Deputy Prime Minister (General Yigal Alton), gave this warning: “The arm of the Israeli Army is long, and will reach out to punish those responsible for terrorist outrages.” An Israeli military announcement in Tel Aviv after today’s raid said all the Israeli aircraft returned safely. The two bases hit, El Hamme and Maisaloun, served as central bases of the Al Fatah, both in Syria itself and as a starting-point for the guerrillas in other Arab States.

El Hamme was described byIsraeli sources as the chief training centre of the organisation even before the sixday war of June 1967. Now. according to the Israelis it serves as the headquarters of the Al Fatah in Syria and the Lebanon, and as a logistic and organisation centre.

Maisaloun is a training depot for the terrorists.

El Hamme. the main target of today’s raid, is known also to be the staging-point for guerrillas who have returned from training in Egypt, Algeria and China. When Syrian fighter aircraft engaged the Israeli raiders, one Syrian MiG 17 jet was shot down in a brief battle, a military spokesman said in Tel Aviv.

According to Damascus Radio, three Israeli planes were shot down for the loss of two Syrian fighters in fierce dogfights near the Syrian capital. Observers say the raid was the first major strike Israel .had carried out against Syria since the six-day war.

Israeli officials say Syrian support of the Al Fatah and other terrorist groups has been steady, though more re-

cently Egypt has become the chief sponsor: The political headquarters of Al Fatah remains in Damascus, the capital of Syria. Syria has closed all its airports and banned all flights in Syrian air space until further notice, according to a message received this morning by Cairo Airport Raid On Jordan In Amman, it was claimed that Jordanian forces shot down an Israeli plane during an air attack with napalm bombs and rockets on the area around Gharandal, south of the Dead Sea. Mr Shahir El Muhaisen, Governor of Maan District, said the aircraft, one of seven attackers was brought down on the cease-fire line in the Arabah Valley. An Israeli rescue helicopter removed the pilot, but it was not known whether he was alive, the Governor said.

The Israeli planes dropped napalm bombs and rockets in an 80-minute raid after four Israeli Army half-track vehicles had crossed the ceasefire line into Jordan, he added.