Search JTA's historical archive dating back to 1923

Jordanian Army Trying to Stop Terrorist Defections to Israel

July 23, 1971
See Original Daily Bulletin From This Date
Advertisement

Jordanian forces are trying to seal off the border area with Israel in an effort to prevent fleeing terrorists from surrendering to Israel. More than 90 have sought haven in Israel since Saturday. Israeli observers have watched Jordanian mobile units combing the border area. One patrol attacked a group of terrorists making for the Israeli lines yesterday by way of the Yarmouk River and Killed their leader. Four of the group managed to cross into Israeli territory and surrendered. One of them, with two bullets in his leg, was treated on the spot by Israeli medics. The Jordanian Government newspaper Alraj claimed today that 1539 guerrillas were captured and disarmed by Jordanian forces during four days of fighting. The paper said the prisoners were brought to Amman and then freed with 831 sent to their homes in various parts of Jordan. 311 joining relatives in neighboring Arab countries and 397 going to Syria at their own request. According to the paper, 39 other guerrillas, not among those captured, volunteered to take up arms again to continue “real resistance against the Israeli enemy.”

The Alraj report was obviously intended to counteract the reports that the guerillas were defecting to Israel because they feared for their safety in Jordan and were unwanted in other Arab countries. (Street fighting erupted in Stockholm yesterday where about 50 Arabs and Swedish supporters tried to invade the Saudi Arabian. Tunisian and Egyptian embassies to protest the Jordanian “massacre” of the guerrillas. Police evicted the would-be sit-ins. Two Palestinians who refused to leave the Egyptian premises were arrested. Five others who tried to intervene were detained by police but later released. They included the Swedish author Stafian Beckman, a pro-Arab.) Two terrorists were killed in a clash with an Israeli patrol on the southern Golan Heights today. Israeli force killed an inmate of the Jebaliya refugee camp in Gaza who broke the curfew last night.

Recommended from JTA

Advertisement