Observations from the AMPTE/CCE satellite are used to study short-lived, highly anisotropic electron distributions in the relatively unexplored region of the equatorial magnetosphere between 6.6 RE and the CCE apogee at 8.8 RE. Remarkably intense (~1¿109/cm2-sec-sr-keV) bursts of highly collimated (within 5¿ of B) counterstreaming electrons have been observed at keV energies with durations of a few tens of seconds to a few minutes near the geomagnetic equator on L-shells that intersect the high latitude ionosphere in the region normally associated with the auroral zone. Simultaneous deep depressions of the locally mirroring fluxes accompany the counterstreaming electrons at energies below the peak energy. The field-aligned electrons have mirror points deep in both the northern and southern hemispheres. We suggest thes equatorial electrons may result from the release of auroral electrons trapped beneath the auroral accelerating potentials at lower altitudes along the same magnetic flux tubes. ¿ American Geophysical Union 1988