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2 Jews, 12 Arabs, 1 British Officer Slain; Trench Mortars Used Against Rebels

October 11, 1938
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British troops used trench mortars yesterday to repel an Arab rebel force that tried to capture the Arab city of Jenin, northernmost point in the “bloody triangle” area of central Palestine. Before the troops routed the rebels, however, they had succeeded in destroying the quarantine station, razing the customs house and subjecting a police station and military encampment to strong rifle fire.

Meanwhile, two Jews were killed and nine others wounded in Arab attacks in other parts of Palestine. One of the victims was Menachem Algeba, 27, a special policeman who came to this country from Greece, who was fatally shot during a midnight assault on a police station at Beth Dejen. The second victim was an unidentified man who was stabbed to death in the Ardel Yehuda quarter of Haifa. Eight Jews were wounded, two of them seriously, when a truck carrying settlers struck a land mine between Zichron Jacob and Bath Shlomo. Another Jew was wounded by snipers on the Jerusalem-Tel Aviv road.

Havas News Agency reported Major E.M.G. Wray of the British army was killed and his aide wounded by a mysterious burst of gun-fire while he was visiting a military post near the Gaza railway station. Major Wray, who was attached to the middlesex regiment, was wounded “accidentally,” according to first reports, and died shortly afterward. His aide, corporal Robert, was also shot.

For the second time a band from Transjordan intending to attack Maoz was intercepted by Jewish supernumeraries and was driven off, with three of the attackers being killed and one wounded and captured. Subsequently Royal Air force planes, a detachment of the Trans-jordan Frontier Force and police pursued the band, inflicting nine casualties.

Planes sighted five Arabs building a barricade near Sakhinn. Diving toward the group, the pilots opened fire, inflicting three casualties. A military patrol fired upon at Kalkillia by Arabs replied, killing two of the attackers and capturing eight. A british soldier of the Royal Scots regiment was slightly injured.

It was officially announced that the death sentence of Abraham Kotik, passed by an army court for possession of arms, has been commuted to life imprisonment. Kotik, 25, was convicted on Oct. 3.

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