Haganah Repulses Syrian-iraqi Attack on Settlement Near Jerusalem; 3 Britons Captured

A fierce battle between Haganah and Syrian-Iraqi forces using machineguns end mortars and fortified by armored cars developed today four miles north of Jerusalem along the road to Nablus. The Arabs were dispersed and three British police deserters who fought on their side from an armored ?r were captured.

The “battle broke out when the three deserters took up a position near Neve Jacob and opened fire on the settlement. Several minutes later they were joined by Syrians in three armored cars and by a large unit of infantry composed of Syrian and Iraqi guerrillas. The Haganah, using hand grenades, drove a wedge between the armored cars and the infantry.

Meanwhile, the settlers notified British Army headquarters in Jerusalem of the attack and a large body of troops was dispatched to the scene. The attackers fled, but the British deserters were apprehended and brought to Jerusalem.

At least four Iraqi raiders were killed and three seriously wounded in another lash in northern Palestine when a Haganah force engaged an Iraqi band preparing to attack Yechiam. The Iraqi were attacked from three sides and were compelled to retreat even after reinforcements were brought in by bus.

Haganah intelligence announced today that British policemen have abandoned all police stations along the Palestine-Transjordan frontier, virtually exposing the entire area to unrestricted Arab infiltration.

An official British announcement revealed today that more than 300 military and police personnel have deserted the British Army and police force in Palestine during the past two years, of whom only 77 have been apprehended.

The Palestine Government today issued a communiqu? on its investigation of the Palestine Post bombing. The announcement said that the government failed “to establish the identity of the individuals responsible for the bombing.” It added that after the closest examination,” the authorities were incapable of supporting the suspicion of the Jewish Agency that “British police personnel were concerned in the outrage.”