Eye-witness Describes Action As Local Strikes Rather Than Large-scale Offensive

A visit to the fighting area this morning showed that the Israeli army had reverted to tactics of local strikes similar to the ones used before the June war. From a mountaintop north of Jericho, this correspondent clearly saw the fighting area. Few planes were seen overhead. In one hour, only two Israeli jet fighters passed above, one dropping its bombload.

This is in marked contrast to the Six-Day War, in which sorties flew overhead, wave after wave. The scene today could be classified as a skirmish rather than a war. Less than 20 miles from the heavy fighting area, sheep and goats were out grazing.

In Jericho, shops were open and some people were seen on streets but cafes were empty. Business was generally slow because Israelis and tourists, who make up the town’s main shoppers, had been barred from entering this ancient town since yesterday. Outside Jericho, roads were lined with army supply trucks, some of them carrying ammunition. There was no attempt at camouflaging them.

None of the few planes Jordan still has took to the sky nor did Jordan attempt to shell Israeli-held towns or military bases in the West Bank as happened previously. However, it did use artillery against the Israeli troops who penetrated the East Bank behind Jordanian lines. Israeli planes went into action against these artillery bases.