Haganah announced today that Israeli planes last night bombed military targets in Amman, Transjordan capital. This was the first time that Jewish aircraft attacked an Arab capital since the launching of nearly daily air raids on Tel Aviv on May 15.
The Haganah announcement did not elaborate on the bombing run, but Arab radio reports intercepted here stated that ten bomb a wishing 50 pounds each were dropped on Amman by four single-plane flights over the city. The Arabs claimed six civilians were killed in the raid.
In Haifa, a British Array spokesman announced that Israeli planes also bombing R.A.F. airfield near the Transjordan capital, killing 12 and wounding 30 Arabs and damaging several grounded planes.
Israeli, fighters this morning took to the air to intercept Arab planes bombing the Tel Aviv area, a late Haganah announcement said. No further details of the action were available.
Unofficial reports circulating here indicate that a 3,500-man Egyptian armored column located less than six miles from Rehovoth, which is 15 miles southeast of the Israel metropolis, is now being subjected to heavy Jewish artillery shelling from the north and south and is also encountering heavy Jewish fire from other directions.
The advancing Egyptians did not take the Israelis by surprise, these reports stated, adding that Jewish aircraft are carrying out “exceptionally heavy attacks” on the enemy column. The advance party is said to be many miles ahead of the lain Egyptian force and in all likelihood will he cut off from possible retreat.
A Haganah communique issued today reported that Israeli planes are “very active” and, for the first time, Israeli fighters have gone into action, engaging Aral Spitfires above Tulkarm and shooting one plane down. At the some time, Israeli bombers raided concentrations of Arab armored unite, Sherman tanks and Iraqi barracks in Tulkarm while Arab Legion concentrations, including the Iugion garrison holding Lydda airport, were also raided by Israeli aircraft. Lydda airport was also subjected to Jewish artillery fire.
Israeli aircraft attacked the western fringe of the Arab triangle–the area lying between Jenin, Tulkarm and Nablus in central Palestine–hitting military targets in Tulkarm and Tyrreh village, south of the city. Israeli pianos also attacked Arab concentrations in Imwas and Yalu, near the Latrun front, and Deir Ayoub, east of Latrun. Beith Time, southeast of Majdal, which was occupied by Egyptian forces several days after the proclamation of Jewish statehood, has been overrun by Haganah shock troops.
The Haganah communique reported that Arab forces have evacuated the village of Hoj, which is midway between Gaza and Doroth, in the Negev. “Many points inside the Arab triangle” have been hit by the Israeli air force, the communique stated.
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