On the night of April 9 , 1973 , during Operation '' Spring of Youth '' , a select force of paratroopers headed by Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Amnon Lipkin-Shahak landed in different sites in and around Beirut , where according to published foreign reports , they linked up with waiting cars hired by Mossad agents . According to these sources , the soldiers drove through Beirut without arousing suspicion . They simultaneously attacked the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine 's headquarters and the residences of three high-ranking PLO leaders responsible for the Fatah-Black September Munich massacre of Israeli athletes in 1972 . Surprise was total , and despite fierce resistance in the headquarters , all teams succeeded in carrying out their missions and were extracted by Israeli Air Force helicopters . Two Israeli soldiers and dozens of PFLP fighters were killed during the fighting
Munich massacre
Munich massacre
Paratroopers Brigade