AIRLINER REPORTS DISQUIET ISRAEL

BULLET HOLES IN

DEBRIS

FROM OUR CORRESPONDENT

JERUSALEM (ISRAEL SIDE), AUG. I

Preliminary reports of the Israel commission investigating the loss of the El-Al airliner, with 58 passengers and crew, over Bulgarian territory last Wednesday have now reached Israel.

A Foreign Ministry statement issued ibis evening describes them as " disquieting " and says that investigators, who were allowed to remain on Bulgarian territory only six hours-and that after much haggling -discovered bullet holes in parts of the aircraft, which were scattered over a wide area of Bulgarian territory. The investigators also reported that aircraft parts seen by them had been tampered with.

Unofficial reports reaching here suggest that a Bulgarian Mig fighter which had been following the El-Al Constellation machinegunned the airliner. The investigators' preliminary findings, which appear to have been made known in Athens before they were published here, are the probable origin of these unofficial reports. According to a Bulgarian official account the airliner had been brought down by anti-aircraft fire.

To-day's Foreign Ministry statement says that Israel's investigators-only three of the six sent to the border were allowed to cross -were not permitted to interrogate Bulgarian witnesses and were given very little assistance or cooperation by their hosts. The statement ends by noting that a Bulgarian commission has been detailed to make inquiries.