PORT SAID CLASHES

Press, Volume XCIV, Issue 28154, 18 December 1956, Page 15

PORT SAID CLASHES

U.N. Action Likely (N.Z. Press Association —Copyright) (Rec. 11 p.m.) NEW YORK, December 17. Reports of fighting between Egyptian guerrillas and BritishFrench troops and part of the United Nations emergency force in Egypt touched off new diplomatic consultations at United Nations headquarters today on the Middle East situation. The situation may be discussed in the General Assembly tomorrow when Britain and France will protest against Egypt’s alleged maltreatment and expulsion of British and French nationals. . Egyptian commandos in Port Said incurred about 100 casualties in battles with patrolling British troops after a British major leading a street patrol had been killed. The British counter-attacked. A battalion of the Royal Scots Regiment charged the Arab quarter and began battling house to house during the night. Tanks and guns were brought into support. One United Nations emergency force officer described the British attack as “merciless” and said he counted at least 27 bodies. Most estimates ran as high as 100 dead and wounded. The British commander, General Sir Hugh Stockwell, announced later that, at the request of the United Nations Commander (General E. L. M. Burns), he had agreed to allow 350 Egyptian police to enter Port Said on Tuesday to reinforce the local force. His announcement said that if these reinforcements behaved themselves, 350 more would be allowed in 48 hours later. Tn New York, British United Nations delegation sources said the BritishFrench protest asainst Egypt might be put before the General Assembly. The sources denied reports that the United States had tried to dissuade Britain and France from taking their complaint to the Assembly because of the risk of “opening old wounds.”