An Israeli border patrolman was killed and several other special policemen were wounded today in the third outbreak of violence along the Israel-Jordan border in the wake of the dismissal of Gen. John Glabb as commander of the Arab Legion. This time, unlike the other two incidents, the Arab Legion rather than infiltrators was involved.
Shooting first broke out when a party of Israel customs officers entered Barda village on the border due east of Hadera. The village of Barda is cut in half by the demarcation line. Legionnaires, in positions across the line, opened fire on the customs officials in their vehicle.
When an Israeli border police unit came to the assistance of the customs officers, the Jordanian troops turned their attention to the police. The Israelis returned the fire, whereupon the Arab Legion brought up heavy machine guns and mortars. The engagement lasted until the evening. Later, the Jordanians fired on a bus near Magal, wounding the driver.
Israeli officials announced today that they had identified the dead Jordanian infiltrator killed after he and several other Arabs murdered a settler at Noham, in the Jerusalem corridor, this week-end. The police say he is Mustafa Samueli who is reputed to have killed 21 Jews in similar raids. The officials charged that Samueli, called the “highway bandit,” was in the pay of the Jordanian authorities.
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