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Egyptian-Syrian attacks held Tanks battle as Syrians penetrate Golan Line, Egyptians cross Canal, Israel planes maintain air supremacy Israel forces yesterday contained invading Egyptian and Syrian units which crossed into Sinai and the Golan Heights under heavy artillery and air cover. The attack began shortly before 2 o’clock. Two positions, one on the northern tip of the Canal and the other on Mount Hermon, which were taken by Arab forces in the late afternoon were recaptured yesterday evening. No casualty figures were available last night, but Syrian and Egyptian losses were reported to be ’heavy.’ Israel will be fighting an estimated 350,000 troops on both fronts — 250,000 of them along the Egyptian front alone. According to Defense Minister Moshe Dayan, the Egyptians have 2,000 tanks, 1,500 artillery pieces and 70 planes readied for the battle, while the Syrians have mobilized 800 tanks and 800 long-range and medium-range guns along the front. Only limited Egyptian and Syrian forces managed to cross over the cease-fire lines as Israel maintained supremacy in the skies. The Egyptians crossed the Suez Canal at several points, attacking sparsely defended Israeli forward positions, while the Syrians brought troops by helicopter to positions on the Hermon and along the Golan Heights. The attacks were coordinated with massive artillery bombardments aimed at Israeli forces. Throughout last night, Egyptian forces were attempting to build bridgeheads across the Canal, in an attempt to bolster commando and infantry units, which had taken positions on the Israeli side during the afternoon. According to the army spokesman, an attempt by the Egyptians to transport troops by helicopter into Abu Rodels in southern Sinai at 6 p.m. was fought off when Israeli Air Force planes destroyed eight (unconfirmed reports claim 10) of the helicopters in flight. Each helicopter carries an average of 30 men and their equipment. Air raid sirens sounded off three times in Tel Aviv. According to Defense Minister Dayan, the sirens were in response to enemy planes flying in the direction of the city from the sea. Mr. Dayan said in reply to a question that the planes were equipped with missiles, but he would not elaborate. Throughout the afternoon there was heavy aerial fighting both in the north and in Sinai. No losses for either Israeli or Arab planes were given. Mr. Dayan said last night there were no Israeli air raids on enemy positions beyond the battle front. Up to last night Jordanian forces had remained out of the war, and in the administered territories, Mr. Dayan reported, life was normal. Mr. Dayan strongly advised the Jordanians not to enter the battle. Israeli towns and settlements suffered in no significant way according to Mr. Dayan, who reported that there had been one fatality in the northern town of Kiryat Shmona. No Israeli settlements had been evacuated apart from the civilian oil town of Abu Rodels in southern Sinai, where families were flown north yesterday morning before actual hostilities commenced. There was no gauging last night how long the war was likely to last, or what its’ scope would be. Israel is thought to have lost a certain advantage, observers point out, by not staging a pre-emptive attack. Defense Minister Dayan would not commit himself to a time limit last night, but stated the war would take neither months nor weeks. The Syrians’ air attack was directed in part against the Golan’s Druse — several men and women were killed by strafing and 15 were injured in the villages of Majdel Shams, Bukata and Mas’ade. The residents told an Israel Radio reporter the planes swooped on them while they were in the fields, strafing them mercilessly, then went on to spray fire at their homes.
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