Israeli officials said today that sections of the Tel Aviv to Jerusalem railway line near the Jordanian border will be sealed off by a high barbed wire fence in a program to devise barriers against Arab guerrilla infiltrators.
The new security fence will first be erected near the Batir village, the site of the most recent guerrilla attack on the railway. On that occasion a train was partly detailed when it hit explosives planted on the tracks. The fence will be built on both sides of the line in vulnerable areas. Other precautionary measures also will be taken.
At the same time Israeli Railways announced cancelation of evening trains to and from Jerusalem, affecting four runs — Jerusalem-Tel Aviv, Jerusalem-Haifa, Haifa Jerusalem and Tel Aviv-Jerusalem. No explanation was given for the cancelations but it was assumed security was the reason. Some observers expressed fear the cancelations might encourage more sabotage by the Arabs who might consider the cancelations proof of the effectiveness of such guerrilla attacks.
Another “delicate” border point with Jordan is now fenced in and lighted. It is near Romema, a section of new Jerusalem where explosives planted last month by infiltrators caused considerable damage to a number of buildings but no casualties.
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