15 Egyptians killed in Entebbe-style raid

Press, 21 February 1978, Page 1

15 Egyptians killed in Entebbe-style raid

NZPA Larnaca (Cyprus)

Cyprus and Egypt yesterday traded angry accusations over the battle between Cypriot and Egyptian troops trying to free 16 hostages from a hijacked jet at Larnaca Airport. In the confusion of the rescue, the two hijackers surrendered, the hostages escaped, and 12 Egyptian soldiers were killed. What started as an En-tebbe-style raid ended in a bloody free-for-all on Sunday night as Cypriot National Guardsmen opened fire on a planeload of Egyptian commandos who unexpectedly turned up to rescue the hostages seized by two gunmen who shot and killed an Egyptian newspaper editor in the lobby of Nicosia’s Hilton Hotel on Saturday. The Cypriot President (Mr Spyros Kyprianou) said the Egyptians had violated an agreement not to interfere in the negotiations with the gunmen, who had already agreed to surrender.

The Egyptians said the Cypriots knew the commandos were coming, but opened fire on them after they had freed the hostages. This account differed widely from those of witnesses and the pilot of the hijacked Cyprus Airways DCB jet. According to Cypriot officials, the Egyptian Hercules transport carrying a force of between 60 and 75 commandos arrived at Larnaca Airport about 30 minutes after the Cyprus Airways jet touched down after a flight to Djibouti and back.

A jeepload o. Egyptians stormed out and made for the hijacked jet, spraying it with bullets and, according to the British pilot, Mr Bill Cox, almost blowing it up. "It is a miracle we are alive,” said Mr Cox. “Everyone lay on the floor. Even the terrorists were lying or. the floor. They fired on the cockpit and at the front door. “How we survived I will never know,” Mr Cox said. “The aircraft was

peppered with holes, running with fuel,' and it is lucky it did not blow up.”

That started a 50-minute battle between Egyptian and Cypriot troops during which the airport resounded to sounds of machine-gun and artillery fire and the red glare of tracer bullets criss-crossing the runway. A Cypriot shell hit the Egyptian plane and it burst into flames, hurling bodies across the tarmac.

A Cypriot jeep raced up to the gangway of the DCB and a guardsman “hurled a grenade in the middle of the Egyptians,” Mr Cox said. “If he had not done that 1 would not be here talking to you.” Hospital officials said 12 Egyptians were killed and 28 people were wounded, including seven Cypriot soldiers and two reporters—a West German and a Cypriot. Mr Kyprianou expressed “deep sorrow” about the loss of life but said: “At the same time I want publicly to register my strong protest at the action by the Egyptian government in violation of the sovereignty of the Republic of Cyprus.

“I would not call it an act of war but a military intervention, which is contrary to the charter of the United Nations.”

He said Egypt had asked permission for its Information Minister to

come to Cyprus by plane to watch the attempts to free hostages and the request had been granted. “When the plane landed we realised that there was no Minister on the plane but a good force of commandos,” Mr Kyprianou said. Egypt’s version of the incident said: “Egyptian commandos carried out their mission skilfully and bravely. As a result, the two terrorists surrendered and ail hostages were released safely. “But in the course of this noble operation, the Egyptian commando force

was surprised by the intervention of the Cypriot National Guard who attempted to prevent them from carrying out their mission.” Egypt demanded the extradition of the terrorists and the safe return of its commandos. Cypriot authorities said the two terrorists had been arrested and would probably stand trial for murder. The Egyptian commandos were placed "under protective custody,” they said. Black September link? Page 8.