Israelis Report Intensified Terrorist Activities on Eastern Cease-fire Lines

Israeli military sources reported today a sharp increase in terrorist activities along the eastern cease-fire lines and ridiculed reports in the foreign press that Jordan was curbing guerrilla forays against Israel from its territory.

According to the sources, 56 incidents occurred along the eastern border during the week that ended August 2, compared to only 23 incidents during the week of June 29-July 5 which followed a series of Israeli attacks on guerrilla positions inside Jordan. Terrorist incidents were also on the increase along the Lebanese border and on the demarcation line with Syria. Military officials placed the number of guerrillas in Lebanon at 400-500.

They said that only nine of last week’s 56 terrorist acts in the east occurred on Israeli territory. For the most part, the guerrillas preferred to attack from the shelter of Jordan although Jordanian authorities render them every assistance to cross the river into Israel.

(The London Telegraph reported from Amman today that the Jordanian Army was exerting firmer control over the forward areas facing Israel and was trying to curb “indiscriminate” commando activities. According to the correspondent, a system of passes has been established for guerrillas entering the Jordan Valley. He said this “fresh, tough line” toward the guerrillas stemmed from King Hussein’s shake-up of the Jordanian cabinet and military command last month. He said the new commander of the Jordanian Army, Gen. Nasser Ben Jamil, has gained the confidence of his troops by preventing guerrilla groups from setting up temporary rocket sites to shell Israeli settlements.)