The World : Rockets Hit Soviet Vessels

Two helicopters with Syrian markings fired rockets at two Soviet vessels in the eastern Mediterranean, injuring seven sailors, two of them seriously, the Soviet army daily Krasnaya Zvezda reported. The newspaper said the incident happened 39 miles from the Syrian port of Tartus, where the Soviets have a large naval facility. One of the Soviet ships, a diving support vessel, suffered considerable damage. The two seriously injured sailors were taken to Tartus for medical treatment, but the paper said there was little hope for the survival of one of them. It said “competent organs” were investigating the incident. The low-key nature of the report indicated that Moscow wanted to avoid a confrontation with Syria, its main ally in the Middle East.