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11 Jews Killed when Underground Attacks Acre Prison; 60 Flee in Mass Jail Break

May 5, 1947
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Eleven Jews were killed tonight in a bloody mass jail break from the Acre prison, during which 60 prisoners fled, following an assault on the prison by two jeep-loads of Jewish extremists. One Arab prisoner was also killed.

Two of the dead were attackers, four were escaped prisoners and five were inmates who did not succeed in escaping, but were killed by a detachment of British troops, who alleged that they had been fired upon by the five. Two of the attackers and five of the prisoners were wounded. Five of the extremists were captured, and twelve prisoners were re-captured, of whom two were Jews and ten were Arabs.

The jeeps drove into Acre, which is a totally Arab town, shortly after 6 p.m. under cover of mines strewn on all surrounding roads and diversionary attacks in coattered sections of the city. As they arrived outside the prison walls an explosion occurred inside. The occupants of the jeeps then left the vehicles and opened fire with sub-machine guns. Nine were wounded and later captured. One policeman was slightly injured.

The authorities at Jerusalem Central Prison announced last week that they had thwarted an attempt by Jewish prisoners to break out of the jail. They said that the prisoners had almost completed a tunnel under the prison’s outer walls when they were discovered.

A report from Cyprus yesterday said that Ruth Tenanbaum, a Jewish relief worker at the Caraolos camp for interned Jewish immigrants, has been arrested on charges of aiding and abetting an alleged terrorist in escaping from the camp prison. Miss Peranbaum, a Palestinian, is said to have smuggled a file inside the binding of a book to Arieh Vizel who was being held on charges of having planted a mine which blew a hole in the bottom of a British deportation ship in Famagusta harbor, April 2. She was released on bail and will be tried May 10.

Three Jewish youths were killed yesterday by an explosion at the settlement of Geva in the Nazareth district. According to unofficial reports they were members of the Haganah engaged in summer maneuvers. Police are investigating the incident.

Earlier yesterday, one Jew was wounded when Bedouin tribesmen opened fire on a group of Jewish hikers at Wadi Kelt, near the Dead Sea. The injured man was removed to the Hadassah hospital here.

A group of Arabs fired several shots at a Jewish watchman at the colony of Ein Hared. The sentry returned the fire and the raiders retreated without casualties.

Egyptian police patrolling the Palestine border area have arrested two Arabs attempting to smuggle arms into Palestine. The Arabs were leading a camel caravan and the weapons were hidden in loads of hay.

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