SYRIA-ISRAELI SITUATION

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP79T00826A001800010032-1
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: S
• Document Page Count: 3
• Document Creation Date: December 19, 2016
• Document Release Date: January 19, 2006
• Sequence Number: 32
• Publication Date: April 7, 1967
• Content Type: IM

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26A001800010032-1 99
No. 0802/67
CENTRAL INTELLIGENCE AGENCY
Directorate of Intelligence
7 April 1967
INTELLIGENCE MEMORANDUM
Syria-Israeli Situation
1. A major clash between Syria and Israel.'.de-
veloped this morning in an area south of Lake Tiberias.
2. Syrian troops opened fire with automatic
weapons at approximately 0945 local time (0245 EST)
against Israeli armored tractors working fields near
the village of Haon, on the lake shore. This area
is in the Demilitarized Zone, where Israeli cultiva-
tion "rights" have long been hotly disputed by the
Syrians. When the Israelis responded to this fire,
the Syrians escalated with tank and mortar fire. The
Israelis followed in kind. In this phase of the ac-
tion, the Syrians claim to have damaged two Israeli
tanks, while the Israelis claim the destruction of
one Syrian tank.
3. Both sides then scrambled jet fighters. An
Israeli spokesman has stated that Israeli Mirages
strafed several Syrian gun positions in the area of
ground fighting before the Israeli aircraft were at-
tacked by Syrian MIG-21's. Eye-witnesses in Damascus,
70 miles to the north, have reported a dogfight over
the city, during which an unidentified plane was
probably hit. The Syrians claim to have downed at
least one Mirage, but the Israelis say they lost no
aircraft. An Israeli defense official now claims
that the Israelis downed seven Syrian MIG-21's in a
30-minute span. According to an earlier Israeli press
service release, claiming six Syrian planes, three
fell within Syria and three inside Jordanian territory.
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4. Early efforts by UN truce observers to halt
the fighting were unsuccessful, and mortar fire con-
tinued for several hours. There is no word as yet
whether either party has called for Security Council
action, but night fell at approximately 7 PM local
time (1200 EST) and the fighting has probably died
down for the day.
5. The terrain along the Syrian-Israeli border
almost prohibits a major Israeli ground attack into
Syrian territory. Given the Israeli air success
today as well as the fact that the Jewish Sabbath
began at sundown this afternoon, it seems unlikely
that the Israelis would initiate further air strikes
on their own, although the unpredictable Syrians may
still provoke further action. Dawn will break at
about 0630 local time (2330 EST tonight). The
Israelis seem to have proved their military superiority
for the moment and the Syrians are unlikely to attract
any meaningful help from their Arab friends.
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Approved For Release 2006/02/07 : CIA-RDP79T00826AO01800010032-1