Border Ambush

Escorted only by a squad of Lebanese military police, three carloads of visiting Syrian officers last week took a tour along Lebanon's border with Israel. The trip was uneventful until the tiny convoy reached Ramieh, a town eight miles inland from the Mediterranean where paved roads run parallel on both sides of the border. There the Syrians emerged from brush and trees along the Lebanese road to a startling sight. Scarcely a hundred yards away, five Israeli tanks and three halftracks lay in ambush for them on the other road.

Swiftly the Israelis moved in. During a two-minute fight, four MPs and a Lebanese gendarme were killed and five of the seven Syrians captured. They proved a high-level bag: a brigadier general and two colonels from the army general staff and two air force intelligence officers, plus a Lebanese captain acting as their guide. They were flown off in helicopters for interrogation, and Israel said that they would be treated as prisoners of war. There were hints that they might be offered in exchange for three Israeli flyers held since 1970 as prisoners in Syria.

Almost simultaneously, Israeli jets raided Lebanon in an overreaction to two guerrilla attacks made the day before. At that time two Israeli tourists were wounded in a rocket attack inside Israeli-occupied territory, and two soldiers were hurt by a mine. Now Israeli Skyhawks, in a series of raids that continued through the week, bombed and strafed guerrilla encampments near the slopes of Mount Hermon; scores of fedayeen were reported killed. The Israelis also hit villages in the area. In a town called Hasbaya, curious villagers who rushed out of their houses at the noise became the targets; five died and 25 were wounded before the planes flew away.

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