ISRAEL: FIERCE FIGHTING BETWEEN ISRAEL AND JORDANIAN FORCES

Record ID: 375959

  • Title: ISRAEL: FIERCE FIGHTING BETWEEN ISRAEL AND JORDANIAN FORCES
  • Date: 16th February 1968
  • Summary: GENERAL VIEWS COUNTRYSIDE; VILLAGERS WATCHING ATTACK; AIRCRAFT OVERHEAD; SMOKE IN DISTANCE. Initials GEM/VS/BOB/SC Script is copyright Reuters Limited. All rights reserved
  • Embargoed: 2nd March 1968 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: BEIT SHEAN, ISRAEL
  • Country: Israel
  • Reuters ID: LVA3ZUYMUW42QDYVDRUV2O0IM68L
  • Story Text: WAVES OF ISRAEL FIGHTER-BOMBERS HIT JORDANIAN ARTILLERY POSITIONS YESTERDAY (THURSDAY) AS FIGHTING BROKE OUT ALONG A FRONT OF MORE THAN 65 MILES (100 KILOMETRES) ON AND NEAR THE JORDAN RIVER.

    VILLAGERS WATCHED AS THE AIRCRAFT STREAKED OVER JORDANIAN FORTIFIED POSITIONS ACROSS THE FRONTIER, AND SAW SMOKE RISING AFTER THEY'D DROPPED THEIR LETHAL LOADS.

    THE AIR STRIKE FOLLOWED HOURS OF FIGHTING ACROSS THE FRONTIER IN WHICH BOTH SIDES USED ARTILLERY AND TANKS. GENERAL DAYAN, ISRAEL'S DEFENCE MINISTER, SAID THE FIGHTING WAS SPARKED OFF BY A CLASH BETWEEN AN ARAB INFILTRATOR AND AN ISRAELI PATROL.

    IT ENDED WHEN A CEASE-FIRE WAS ARRANGED LATE LAST NIGHT, AT JORDAN'S REQUEST, ACCORDING TO AN ISRAELI OFFICIAL. BUT BY THEN THE TOLL WAS 13 CIVILIANS AND FIVE SOLDIERS DEAD ON THE JORDANIAN SIDE.

    GENERAL DAYAN SAID IN A BROADCAST THAT HE HOPED THE POWERFUL ISRAELI ACTION WOULD TEACH THE JORDANIANS TO OBSERVE THE CEASE-FIRE. IT WAS THE THIRD TIME IN A WEEK THAT IT HAD BEEN BROKEN.
  • Copyright Holder: REUTERS
  • Copyright Notice: (c) Copyright Thomson Reuters 2015. Open For Restrictions - http://about.reuters.com/fulllegal.asp
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