MIDDLE EAST MOVES

Evening Star, Issue 23680, 13 September 1940, Page 7

MIDDLE EAST MOVES

IS ITALY PREPARING TO ATTACK EGYPT?

REPORTED TO BE FORMING THREE ARMIES NO TROOPS YET CROSSED FRONTIER (British pfficial Wireless,) Press Association—By Telegraph—Copyright RUGBY, September 12. (Received September 13, at 9.50 a.m.) While in the past day of two there have been Italian troop movements in the north of Libya, in the neighbourhood of Capuzzo—a movement which was to be expected—no Italian troops have yet crossed the Egyptian frontier, it was stated in authoritative circles in London to-day. It has been suggested that the Italians are forming three armies for an attack on Egypt. According to these reports, one is to go along the coast via Colum, the second is to operate north-west towards Wadi Haifa from Kassala, and the third along the SudanEgyptian frontier from the neighbourhood of Taheida, which is its base. This army, it is presumed, will attempt to travel straight across 400 or 500 miles of almost waterless desert towards Wadi Haifa to join with the Kassala army. Informed military circles here, while regarding it as quite possible that there might be raids, emphasise that the reports of an attack coming from this direction with any force which could fairly be described as an army should be treated with reserve. As far as is known there are no German formations supporting the Italian forces in Libya, REPORTS “ CANNOT BE DENIED " ONLY AWAITING OFFICIAL CONFIRMATION LONDON, September 12. (Received September 13, at noon.) The British United Press Rome correspondent says informed circles declared that the reports that the Italian offensive has begun in Egypt cannot be denied, “ but official confirmation must await the communique.” BOMBING OF TEL-AVIV ARAB ANGER AGAINST ITALIANS (British Official Wireless.) RUGBY, September 12. (Received September 13, at 9.30 a.m.) The casualties in the Italian raid on Tel-Aviv totalled 228, of whom 104, including 96 Jews, seven Arabs, and one Australian, were killed. The remainder were seriously wounded. The raid has done nothing to lower the exceptionally high morale of the Jewish population, and Arab reaction, both in Jaffa and the neighbourhood, is one of warn! sympathy with the Jewish sufferers and intense anger against the Italians. Pamphlets whidh the Italians dropped amongst the Arab population have been treated with scorn. To-day the mayor and members of the municipal council of Jaffa, all of them Arabs, attended a mass funeral of the Jewish victims of the raid. . KHARTUM BUMBED ALL QUIET IN KENYA CAIRO, September 12. (Received September 13, at 12.40 p.m.) A headquarters communique states that Khartum was bombed yesterday. There was no damage and there were no casualties. All is quiet in Kenya i AIR RAIDS ON LIBYA GOOD WORK BY RAF. CAIRO, September 12. (Received September 13, at 10.45 a.m.) A Royal Air Force communique states: “Our bombers yesterday launched a series of raids against Libya, starting four fires at Amseat and bombing the landing ground at Derna, the bombs falling among aircraft. Two large fires broke out in the harbour and jetty at Derna. Several fires were started at Bardia. The enemy tried to bomb Mersa-Matruh and suffered a high proportion of losses. Four Savoias were destroyed. The South African Air Force bombed Sciasciamanna, in Central Abyssinia, and destroyed one plane and damaged four.” ITALIAN COMMUNIQUE Long recital of “ successes " ROME, September 12. (Received September 13, at 11.45 a.m.) A communique states: “ We bombed by day and night the railway along the Egyptian coast and enemy encampments at Solium and Sidi Barrani, causing fires and explosions. We ma-chine-gunned enemy armoured units. The British ineffectively tried to raid Derna. We destroyed a Blenheim bomber and probably another. One of our planes has not returned. , We sank two enemy destroyers off Aden on Sep-

tember 1, Italian planes bombed tb* Khartum airport, the Hayia railway junction, and the Atbara airport. All our planes returned. “ The British attempted to attack the Kassala bridgehead, but the Italian guns sent them back after an hour’* engagement. Another enemy attack, made” at Cherilli, was also repulsed* The enemy bombed Assab and Cachaman, south from Addis Ababa, causing slight damage. An enemy plane wa* shot down. Enemy planes attempted to raid the Massawa naval base and dropped bombs in the sea.; Two raider* were destroyed at Dessye. On September 9 an Italian submarine sank 27,000 tons of enemy shipping in the AtJ» lantic.” INEFFECTIVE ENEMY RAIDS (British Official Wireless.) RUGBY, September 12. (Received September 13, at 2 p.m.) A communique issued in Cairo states! On Wednesday Mersa Matruh, in Egypt, was again bombfed without any important damage and only on* casualty. Enemy pircraft were active against our forward troops, but caused no damage. Our patrols in Kenya actually engaged the enemy in the northern frontier district on a 200-mile front between Walquaris and Turbi and inflicted losses. In the Sudan on Tuesday, in the Kassala area, the enemy defences on the west bant of the river Gafb were heavily bombed. In Palestine there is. nothing to report.