BRITISH INTERVENE WITH INFANTRY FORMATIONS

Chronicle (Levin), 11 February 1948, Page 5

BRITISH INTERVENE WITH INFANTRY FORMATIONS

(N.Z.PJL,

\ —Reuter,

m Copyright)

Received Wednesday, 9.20 a.m. JERUSALEM, Febr.uary 10. The city's biggest series oi Arab and Jew elashes flare'd up this morning and continued for sorae hours. Fighting began when snipers fired on police guarding a road block. It swept through tbe city as the Haganah posts openedup and the Arabs loospd a barrage ef fire from the rooftops and sand-bag'ged positions on the Old City Wall, directing some of their fire on the British Officers' Club and Army posts surrounding the Public Information building.

Civilians caught in the str.eets, flaitenea themseives agamst DRiiciings wniie British uroops depioyed amongsu irees and direcued neavy bren-gun and rme lire at the giin flashes from the .walls. Two compames oi British infan.try used mortars and small arms wnen intervenihg in a pitched battie in the Montefiore area, beuween the Arabs and Jews. Reuter's corresponaent reports thau a detachmenc of Highland tr-oops were pinned down Dy eross hie irom Haganah machine-gun-ners and Arab fire from the uana Gate area. The Araos warned ■t>j\msh police caught between the firing, to vacate tneir posiiuuiis. Arab attackers in the Monteliore section, withdrew at dusk. This is the first time that British troops have been employed as infantry rn Jerusalem smce tne parumun umturbanpes started.