A military spokesman announced that Israeli jets struck at a terrorist base south of A-Salt in Jordan today on a “search and destroy” mission aimed at knocking out a guerrilla camp before forays could be launched against Israel. He said all of the planes returned safely to their bases. The air strike over Jordan was the first since last Friday when one Israeli jet was shot down and its pilot killed. An Israeli air raid on A-Salt last Aug. 4 took 28 guerrilla and civilian lives and wounded more than 82, Amman Radio said at the time. Jordan said today that four Israeli jet fighter-bombers struck a populated area 15 miles northwest of Amman killing 18 civilians and wounding 25 others in a bomb and rocket attack. It claimed that the target was Al-Jazira village in the A-Salt area which consists of a number of restaurants frequented by West Bank travellers. According to a Jordanian military spokesman, 10 of the wounded were seriously hurt.
Jerusalem military sources said yesterday that Iraq has sent more troops to Jordan and Syria in a calculated move against Israel. The Iraqi troop movement was announced in a Baghdad radio broadcast monitored here in which Iraq declared that it refused to sign a cease-fire agreement with Israel and that its troops in Syria and Jordan were in an active state of war with Israel.
Israel said Iraq recently shifted 6,000 troops from Jordan to Syria and has sent replacements into Jordan. It said Iraqi troops “have provided constant aid” to Arab guerrilla forces.
The presence of Iraqi forces in Syria and Jordan was the subject of a complaint lodged by Israel on March 18 with UN Secretary-General U Thant. Ambassador Yosef Tekoah asked Mr. Thant to obtain from Baghdad “an affirmation that Iraq accepts the Security Council cease-fire resolutions and that all Iraqi forces will respect the cease-fire.” Mr. Tekoah noted that Iraq was an active participant in the 1967 war and “has been evasive in respect of its acceptance of the cease-fire.” Mr. Tekoah asserted that Iraq maintained forces near the Israel-Jordan cease-fire line and actively supported terrorism.
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