Reports Of 600 Syrian Troops In Lebanon

Press, Volume CIX, Issue 32298, 16 May 1970, Page 11

Reports Of 600 Syrian Troops In Lebanon

(N.Z.P. A. -Reuter —Copyright) BEIRUT, May 15. Lebanon is today faced with its second crisis in a week after reports that 600 Syrian regular troops have entered the country without permission.

The Lebanese Cabinet met in emergency session late last night and ordered further contacts with Damascus to clarify the situation in the eastern frontier area where, according to officials quoted by the Minister of Information (Mr Othman Dana), the troops crossed into Lebanon yesterday with Syrian-sup-ported Sai-Qa commandos. Mr Dana said after the Cabinet meeting that the Syrian military commani had denied that any of their regular troops were in the area.

The Palestinian Armed Struggle command said that the men who had come into Lebanon, at Deir Al-Acheir. were guerrilla reinforcements. The reported crossing of the frontier occurred about 24 hours after the withdrawal of an Israeli armoured brigade which struck at Palestinian guerrilla bases in south-east Lebanon.

Political observers say that in view of the already-deli-cate Damascus-Beirut rela-) tions, the presence of Syrian; troops in this country poses, a grave problem which i could seriously detract from the boost given to Lebanese, morale by the Army's hand-i ling of the Israeli attack.

There has also been speculation that the Syrians might be trying to exploit the situation to create a precedent for moving troops back and forth across the frontier. This could be aimed at pushing Lebanon further into direct conflict with Israel and compromising the joint border between the two Arab countries which. Damascus feels, were artificially divided under French rule 50 years ago.

In the past Lebanon has been reluctant to accept offers by other Arab States—most recently, Iraq—to send troops to help to defend her southern border with Israel. She fears that this could drag Lebanon into open confrontation with the Israelis.

Official sources say that the Syrian force is believed to be composed of motorised infantry. The ostensible reason for the crossing is to recover the wreckage of a Syrian MiG shot down in a dog-fight with an Israeli jet fighter over Mount Hermon on Tuesday.

and to take back the pilot who baled out and landed in Lebanon.

The Syrian force is understood to have headed down the Bakaa Valley from Deir Al-Acheir, a remote border village in the area occupied by Syrian-supported commandos during the Fedayeen crisis last October. Where the I troops are now is not known j The Palestinian guerrilla | leader (Mr Yasser Arafat) [has declared that the Israeli attempt to wipe out guerrilla bases in Lebanon was a complete failure. Speaking to reporters at the village of Hebbariya, in south Lebanon, Mr Arafat said that his Fatah organisation, the largest guerrilla group, had not been weakened.