6 October 1973: Arab states launch war on Israeli forces

Heavy fighting has erupted between Arab and Israeli forces along two fronts. To the south, Egyptian armoured forces have broken the Israeli line on the eastern bank of the Suez Canal. In the north, Syrian troops and tanks are battling with Israeli defences along the Golan Heights seized by Israel from Syria in 1967. Both sides have accused each other of firing the first shots, but UN observers have reported seeing Egyptian and Syrian troops crossing into Israeli-held territory. Israeli defence minister, General Moshe Dayan has told the nation in a televised address: "We must realise this is war. We are engaged in heavy battles on both fronts against numerically superior forces." The attacks have come on the Day of Atonement, Yom Kippur, and the holiest day in the Jewish calendar.