LEBANON: WRECKED AIRCRAFT AT BEIRUT AIRPORT AFTER ISRAELI ATTACK.

Record ID: 355310

  • Title: LEBANON: WRECKED AIRCRAFT AT BEIRUT AIRPORT AFTER ISRAELI ATTACK.
  • Date: 30th December 1968
  • Summary: GV PAN ACROSS AIRPORT TO WRECKED AIRCRAFT; WRECKED ENGINES O RUNWAY; ARMED SOLDIER GUARDS WRECK; CU PARTS OF DAMAGE STREWN ABOUT; BULLDOZER CLEARS WRECKAGE; GV UNDAMAGED AIRCRAFT REFUELS. Initials LH/VS/CR/OS Script is copyright Reuters Limited. All rights reserved
  • Embargoed: 14th January 1969 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: BEIRUT, LEBANON
  • Country: Lebanon
  • Reuters ID: LVA4KMOVLYQ5JVCJNAU721Y8OWD
  • Story Text: LEBANON TODAY (MONDAY) GATHERED ITSELF FROM SATURDAY'S (DECEMBER 28) DEVASTATING ATTACK ON BEIRUT INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT AND WARNED THAT IT WOULD NOT HINDER PALESTINIAN GUERRILLAS TRAINING TO FIGHT THE ISRAELIS.

    THE PRIME MINISTER ABDULLAH AL-YAFI DECLARED HIS COUNTRY'S STAND TOWARDS THE COMMANDOS WOULD NOT CHANGE DESPITE THE AIRBORNE ASSAULT WHICH DESTROYED ABOUT 20,800,000 STERLING WORTH OF CIVIL AIRCRAFT.

    ISRAEL HAS CLAIMED ITS ATTACK WAS A REPRISAL FOR AN ARAB MACHINE-GUN ATTACK ON AN ISRAELI EL AL AIRLINER IN ATHENS. IT ALSO CLAIMED THE LEBANESE GOVERNMENT SHELTERED PALESTINIAN GUERRILLA TRAINEES.

    THE AIRPORT RETURNED TODAY TO NORMAL SERVICES AFTER THE ALMOST UNRECOGNISABLE REMAINS OF A VC-10 AND A BOEING 707 WERE LYING DIRECTLY IN FRONT OF THE MAIN TERMINAL BUILDING. ALSO ON THE TARMAC WAS A CARAVELLE WITH ITS NOSE BLOWN OFF.

    THE WORST DAMAGE WAS EVIDENT OUTSIDE THE HANGARS OF MIDDLE EAST AIRLINES (MEA) AND LEBANESE INTERNATIONAL AIRWAYS WHERE THE REMAINS OF EIGHT AIRCRAFT LAY IN THE PARKING BAYS WHERE THEY WERE HIT.

    IN THE UNITED NATIONS SECURITY COUNCIL, LEBANON HAS ALREADY DENOUNCED THE ATTACK AS "A FLAGRANT ACT OF AGGRESSION." TODAY IT TRIED TO WIN MORE DIPLOMATIC SUPPORT FOR ITS COMPLAINT AGAINST ISRAEL BY SENDING A SPECIAL DELEGATION TO THE U.N.

    MEANWHILE, A HOAX BOMB CALL DELAYED AN ISRAELI EL AL AIRLINER FOR 45 MINUTES AT LONDON'S HEATHROW AIRPORT TONIGHT. THE 50 PASSENGERS WERE EVACUATED FROM THE PLANE JUST BEFORE IT WAS ABOUT TO TAKE OFF FOR TEL AVIV AFTER A MAN RANG THE EL AL OFFICE AND SAID A BOMB WAS ABROAD. POLICE SEARCHED THE AIRCRAFT BUT THEY FOUND NOTHING.
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