Jordanian forces located on the east bank of the Jordan River provided covering fire last night for a terrorist band attempting to ambush Israeli motor traffic on the road north from Jericho, parallel to and not far distant from the river.
The incident occurred about 5 P.M. when the Arab band, concealed on the east side of the road, opened fire on a military vehicle proceeding north from Jericho. Occupants of the vehicle returned the fire and gave the alarm by radio. Military forces, engaged in hot pursuit of the Arab assailants, found themselves under machine gun fire from across the river as the Jordanians sought to provide cover to permit the terrorists to escape. The Israeli unit returned the fire in a 20-minute exchange. There were no Israeli casualties.
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The Archive of the Jewish Telegraphic Agency includes articles published from 1923 to 2008. Archive stories reflect the journalistic standards and practices of the time they were published.