EL ARISH REOCCUPIED

Dominion, Volume 10, Issue 2960, 26 December 1916, Page 5

EL ARISH REOCCUPIED

SERIOUS BLOW TO THE TURKS London, December 23. The High Commissioner reports:— A British official message from Egypt says: "El Arish was reoccupied yesterday after being for two years in enemy occupation. • "The fact that the enemy had constructed very strong entrenchments at the position of Mashid, covering El Arish, and also the largo amount of work recently carried out there, indicated that thero'was every intention of offering a stubborn resistance. "Tho rapidity of our advanco, however, upset tho calculations. We forestalled their reinforcements, and tho enemy abandoned the position on Tuesday night, retreating to the east and southeast. The capture of El Arish is .a serious blow to the enemy, both moral and military." [El Arish is one of tho mosß important stations in the Sinai desert. It lies close to the coast of the Mediterranean Sea,, 90 miles east of tho Suez Canal.] BRITISH AIRCRAFT DROP A TON OF EXPLOSIVES (Rec. December 25, 0.20 a.m.) London, December 23. Egypt, Official: "Our aircraft dropped a ton of high explosives on the enemy concentration at Maghdabas, • causing many casualties. They then attacked Beersheba. and Afja, and seriously damaged an important railway bridge at Teleisdria, northwards of Beer-sheba."—Aus.-N.Z. Cable Assa-Reut&r. :