Israeli Jet fighter bombers went into action today against Jordanian positions which have been shelling civilian population centers all along the demarcation line, from the Beisan Valley in the north to the Dead Sea. All planes returned safely to their bases, but the fighting continued tonight, along the Jordan River.
Between 1:00 o’clock this morning and 5:35 local time this afternoon, eight settlements came under intensive Jordanian mortar and heavy artillery fire. Jordanians are also reported to have fired on the West Bank Arab town of Jericho on the north shore of the Dead Sea.
A military spokesman said the only casualties were an Israeli soldier and a civilian, who were slightly wounded in the shelling of Kibbutz Gesher late this afternoon. However, extensive damage and destruction of cattle was reported from the Beisan Valley settlements of Kfar Ruppin and Maoz Chaim, the first targets of the shelling which began several hours before dawn.
Kfar Ruppin was struck by mortar and small arms fire at 1:00 a.m., waking the settlers who rushed the children into underground shelters. At 2:35 a.m., Jordanian artillery commenced firing on Kfar Ruppin and nearby Maoz Chaim. Israeli forces returned the fire with mortars in an exchange that lasted until 3:15 a.m. About 80 hits were scored on Kfar Ruppin where the children’s school, the electric power house and residential buildings were severely damaged. Seventy shells struck Macz Chaim, damaging the clinic, the cowshed, silo and dairy. Sixteen cows were destroyed in the bombardment.
At 2:40 this afternoon, Jordanians opened heavy fire across the border in the Beit Shan region. At 3:20 they began to shell Kibbutz Gesher and, a few minutes later, the village of Beir Yosef. At 3:55 p.m., Kfar Ruppin was shelled again and fire was also directed against Ashdot Yaacov. At 4:25 p.m., the Jordanians opened fire on the village of Neveh Ur and at 5:00 o’clock began shelling the area of Kibbutz Hammadia. At 5:25 they renewed the attack on Gesher and ten minutes later re-opened fire on Ashdot Yaacov.
(Press services reported from Amman today that Jordan is planning to train all workers – “peoples resistance army of national liberation” – for a show-down with Israel. The wire service reports said the mood in Amman is similar to that in the days before last June’s Six-Day War.)
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