- Title: ISRAEL: THIRTEEN PEOPLE INJURED IN WAKE OF PRE-DAWN ROCKET ATTACK
- Date: 9th April 1969
- Summary: 1. LV GULF OF AQABA 0.03 2. GV PAN..DAMAGED HOUSE 0.08 3. SV DAMAGED ROOF 0.13 4. SV INT...DAMAGED ROOMS (2 SHOTS) 0.27 5. MV SOLDIER LOOKS THROUGH RUBBLE 0.34 6. SV COST WITH BABY'S BOTTLE AND BLOOD-STAINED PILLOW (2 SHOTS) 0.38 7. CU REMAINS OF FURNITURE 0.45 8. CU SHELL-HOLE IN WALL 0.48 9. SV PAN..PART OF D
- Embargoed: 24th April 1969 13:00
- Keywords:
- Location: EILATH, ISRAEL
- Country: Israel
- Reuters ID: LVAD60NB5H6A5Q5SQK72PPNT20UB
- Story Text: THIRTEEN PEOPLE WERE INJURED, MOST OF THEM ONLY SLIGHTLY, YESTERDAY (TUESDAY) WHEN ARAB ROCKETS SMASHED INTO THE POPULAR ISRAELI RESORT TOWN OF EILATH, AT THE HEAD OF THE GULF OF AQABA. HOMES AND CARS WERE DAMAGED IN THE PRE-DAWN, 40-MINUTE BARRAGE LAUNCHED FROM THE JORDANIAN PORT OF AQABA, FIVE MILES (8 KMS) AWAY.
AN ESTIMATED 30 TO 40 ROCKETS BURST AT VARIOUS POINTS IN THE TOWN, ITS NORMAL POPULATION OF 13,000 SWOLLEN BY THE PRESENCE OF 15,000 HOLIDAYMAKERS, INCLUDING ABOUT A THOUSAND FROM ABROAD. REALLY DAMAGING HITS, HOWEVER, WERE SAID TO HAVE BEEN SCORED ONLY ON THE HOME OF A MECHANIC, A SCHOOLYARD AND A PARKING LOT, WHERE FIVE CARS WERE WRECKED.
SOME OF THE MORE SERIOUSLY INJURED WERE LATER CARED FOR IN HOSPITAL. A FEW HOURS AFTER THE ATTACK, HOWEVER, EILATH WAS REPORTER TO HAVE RETURNED TO ITS NORMAL HOLIDAYMAKING ROUTINE.
THE MILITARY COMMANDER OF THE EILATH REGION LATER SAID THE ROCKETS WERE FIRED BY ARAB GUERRILLAS AND NOT BY REGULAR JORDANIAN FORCES. HE SAID THE KATIUSHA ROCKETS STRUCK THE TOWN IN INTERVALS OF GIVE OR TEN MINUTES. THIS THEORY IS SUBSTANTIATED BY THE FACT THAT KING HUSSEIN HAS BEEN KNOWN TO GIVE STRICT ORDERS AGAINST MILITARY ACTION HERE. AS JORDAN'S ONLY SEA OUTLET, AQABA IS EXTREMELY VULNERABLE TO ISRAELI REPRISALS, AND THERE HAS BEEN A MORE OR LESS TACIT UNDERSTANDING ON BOTH THE ISRAELI AND JORDANIAN SIDES TO KEEP PEACE IN THE AREA.
ABOUT AN HOUR AFTER THE BARRAGE, ISRAELI JET FIGHTERS MADE A RETALIATORY STRIKE ON THE ROCKET SITE, LOCATED IN THE COMPOUND OF A GIRLS' SCHOOL IN AQABA. A JORDANIAN MILITARY SPOKESMAN SAID EIGHT CIVILIANS AND NINE OTHERS WERE WOUNDED IN THE ATTACK.
YESTERDAY, ISRAELIS AND TROOPS OF THE UNITED ARAB REPUBLIC EXCHANGED ARTILLERY FIRE ALONG THE SUEZ CANAL.
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