1.
GV PAN, SV & CU Israeli tanks move forward (4 shots)
0.18

2.
SV PAN Tank past waiting armoured vehicle
0.24

3.
LV PAN Jet overhead fires rocket
0.29

4.
LV Jets fly past and explosion on horizon (2 shots)
0.38

5.
LV Tanks firing
0.42

6.
LV Shall explodes in hills
0.43

7.
SV Israeli troops fire artillery (2 shots)
0.48

8.
SV & CU Surrendered Syrian soldiers (3 shots)
0.58

9.
SV Injured soldier carried to helicopter
1.04

10.
LV PAN Israeli jets overhead
1.07

11.
SV Helicopter takes off
1.10

12.
GV ZOOM IN Knocked out Syrian tanks
1.23

13.
SVs Damaged Syrian tanks in field (3 shots)
1.41

14.
SV ZOOM OUT Body by damaged tank
1.47



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TELERECORDING

Script is copyright Reuters Limited. All rights reserved

Background: The Israelis continued their advance towards Damascus on Sunday (14 October), knocking out more Soviet-built Syrian tanks.

The progress on the Syrian front took the Israelis to a point about 38 kilometres (24 miles) from the capital. They claim to have stormed Syrian lines and bombarded the Damascus area with heavy artillery.

The Syrians claimed to have thrown back Israeli attacks after fierce ground and air battles during the day for control of the road leading down from the bitterly-contested Golan Heights to Damascus.

Although the Israelis claim to have got the better of the Syrians, one correspondent who saw Syrian troops on the move between Beirut and Damascus said it did not appear to be an army which was broken.

This conflicts with statements by Israel's Defence Minister Moshe Dayan who claimed in Tel Aviv on Sunday night that the Syrian Army had already been smashed. He said Israel could switch its forces to the southern front for a decisive showdown with Egypt.

SYNOPSIS: Israeli tanks rumbled further down the road to Damascus on Sunday, storming Syrian lines and knocking out many of their Russian-built tanks. The progress ??? the Syrian front took the Israelis ??? a point about 38 kilometres from the capital, close enough to bombard the southern outskirts of the city with heavy artillery.

The Israeli advance owed much of its strength to heavy air cover from Phantom and mirage jets, striking at Syrian positions defending the route to Damascus.

Contradicting the Israeli claims, the Syrians say they threw back the Israeli attacks after fierce ground and air battles during the day for control of the road leading down from the Golan Heights. But there was evidence that the Israelis had captured some of their Syrian enemies.

Half of Israel's forces have been concentrated on the northern front with Syria. Israeli Defence Minister Moshe Dayan said on Sunday that he Syrian Army had already been smashed by the Israeli armoured assault.

Many of the Syrian tanks nocked out were the latest Soviet-built designs.

Foreign correspondents who've seen Syrian troops on the move say it does not appear to be an army that is broken.

But the Israelis have claimed victory over the Syrian Army and are preparing to switch their forces to the southern front for a decisive showdown with Egypt.