ISRAELI-OCCUPIED TERRITORY: AFTERMATH OF BATTLE BETWEEN ISRAELI FORCES AND FATAH COMMANDOS.

Record ID: 399514

  • Title: ISRAELI-OCCUPIED TERRITORY: AFTERMATH OF BATTLE BETWEEN ISRAELI FORCES AND FATAH COMMANDOS.
  • Date: 5th May 1969
  • Summary: MOBILE PATROL ENTERING AL HAMMA; MOSQUE; HOT SPRINGS; SOLDIERS ENTERING AND SEARCHING WRECKED BUILDING; WRECKAGE; RIVER, SHOWING JORDANIAN TERRITORY ON OPPOSITE BAND; ARMOURED VEHICLE LEAVING. Initials GL/VS/CT/ES Script is copyright Reuters Limited. All rights reserved
  • Embargoed: 20th May 1969 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: AL HAMMA/ISRAELI-OCCUPIED TERRITORY
  • Country: Jordan
  • Reuters ID: LVA4BEPR5RP6GRH4WZP57YZ8PPEJ
  • Story Text: COMMANDOS OF THE PALESTINE NATIONAL LIBERATION MOVEMENT (FATAH) FORDED THE YARMUK RIVER EARLY ON FRIDAY MORNING (2 MAY) AND INFILTRATED INTO THE TOWN OF AL HAMMA, IN THE ISRAELI-OCCUPIED SYRIAN THE FIGHTING CAUSED CONSIDERABLE DAMAGE IN THE TOWN.

    AL HAMMA IS AN ANCIENT SPA ON THE YARMUK RIVER DIVIDING THE FORMER SYRIAN TERRITORY FROM JORDANIAN LAND. DURING THEIR BRIEF OCCUPATION OF THE TOWN, THE COMMANDOS BLEW UP PART OF THE RECENTLY-RENOVATED THERMAL BATH BUILDING, THE ISRAELIS CLAIM.

    AN ISRAELI COMMUNIQUE SAID THE COMMANDOS TOOK OVER THE DENSE UNDERGROWTH AND ATTEMPTED TO STORM AN ARMY POSITION. THE WITHDREW AFTER A SHORT BUT FIERCE ENGAGEMENT, LEAVING BEHIND TWO DEAD AND A QUANTITY OF MINES AND DYNAMITE CHARGES. THE ISRAELI FORCES LOST TWO DEAD AND THREE WOUNDED, THE COMMUNIQUE SAID.

    A SPOKESMAN FOR THE PALESTINIAN ARMED STRUGGLE COMMAND SAID IN AMMAN THAT THE COMMANDOS SEALED OFF THE AREA BY DESTROYING ROADS AND OCCUPIED AL HAMMA FOR THREE HOURS, HOISTING THE PALESTINIAN FLAG IN TWO PLACES. HE CONFIRMED THE LOSS OF TWO COMMANDOS AND CLAIMED THE ISRAELIS HAD LOST A TANK, THREE TRACKED VEHICLES, A BULLDOZER AND MILITARY INSTALLATIONS IN THE ENGAGEMENT.

    (THE AL HAMMA AREA HAS BEEN THE SITE OF SEVERAL RECENT INCIDENTS INVOLVING BOMBARDMENT OR INFILTRATION AND SABOTAGE. EARLIER IN THE SAME WEEK (28 APRIL) A CIVILIAN WAS KILLED AND THREE INJURED WHEN A BUS CARRYING WORKMEN TO AL HAMMA STRUCK AN EXPLOSIVE DEVICE. VISNEWS PROD. NO. 3807/69 REFERS.)
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