SHARP FIGHTING IN PALESTINE

Dominion, Volume 11, Issue 75, 21 December 1917, Page 5

SHARP FIGHTING IN PALESTINE

TURKS SEVERELY HANDLED

NEW POSITIONS CAPTURED London, December 10. An official report from Palestine states:—"We have seized the high ground east of Abu Dis (south-east of Jerusalem). Our casualties were considerably lower than the number of Turkish dead."—Aus.-N.Z. CableAssn.Reuter.

STRAIGHTENINGJUT THE LINE SOME SHARP FIGHTING. London, December 19. _ Router's correspondent at the Palestine front, writing on Monday, statos that the troops east of Jerusalem are actively straightening out, tho line. "When the Turks were driven from the defences of the city some of them retired to the north, and others to tho eastward, where they were joined by reinforcements from Jcticho. Theso adopted guerrilla tactics, and split into numerous small bodies, attacking outposts and sniping patrols. The roughness of the country between Jerusalem and the Jordan facilitated such taotics. In order to improve ""he lino, the troops from the Home Counties were ordered to take- certain lidges, which afforded a wider range for dofence. Tho attack was made at dawn, all the objectives were quickly reached, and 150 prisoners taken, despite stiff resistance by the enemy for a time. Our stretcher-bearers were heavily fired on while collecting ihe woundea, but persisted in their duty with rdmirablo coolness. Amongst the prisoners are some youngsters more fitted for the schoojroom than the battlefield."—Reuter. '■ ;