Pitched Battle With Rebels On Algerian Frontiet

Press, Volume XCII, Issue 27796, 22 October 1955, Page 9

Pitched Battle With Rebels On Algerian Frontiet

(N.Z. Press Association —Copyright) (Rec. 10.30 p.m.) GAFSA (Tunisia), October 20. More than 3000 troops, supported by artillery and aircraft, today fought a pitched battle with Algerian rebels oil the Tunisian-Algerian,border about 30 miles from Gafsa. Military authorities are still awaiting the details of the fighting, but they believe scores of rebels were killed. Some reports put the rebel death-roll as high as 100. About 200 Algerian terrorists attacked a phosphate mine at Brafim, in southern Tunisia, last night, killing three French workers. Later they fought a six-hour battle with French reinforcements from Gafsa before dispersing into the surrounding hills.

The military authorities said the battle today was “extremely violent.” The rebels deployed themselves with skill and were clearly versed in modern military tactics, the authorities said.

The French High Commissioner in Tunisia (Mr Roger Seydoux) went to the fighting area today with generals commanding troops in Tunisia. He asked Frenchmen living in outlying mining posts to withdraw to larger town centres because he could not spare more troops to safeguard the area.

The French settlers refused to withdraw, but Mr Seydoux agreed to their request for arms to defend themselves. The Tunisian Premier (Tahar Ben Ammar) today appealed to the French Defence Minister (General Pierre Billotte), who is at present touring the country, for French troops to watch the Algerian-Tunisian frontier. In Rabat, the major obstacle to the formation of the first representative Moroccan Government was cleared today when the Democratic Independence Party, one of the two main nationalist bodies, approved the creation of the new Throne Council. The former Pasha of Fez, Si Fathmi Ben Slimane, who has been asked to try to form a government, is expected to consult the leaders of the two nationalist parties on their readiness to take part.