PALESTINE CAMPAIGN

Evening Star, Issue 16677, 8 March 1918, Page 6

PALESTINE CAMPAIGN

JERUSALEM MADE SAFE. LAND OPERATIONS N.W. OF DEAD SEA. AIR ATTACKS TO S.E. CAIRO, March 7. (Received March 8, at 8.50 a.m.) : Mr W. T- Massey reports from Palestine Headquarters, under date March 6;— ■ During the past week the Turks have had much to think about. In various sections of the line hardly a day has passed .without the enemy being compelled to yield positions of valne. The most important of our advances were north and west of Bireh (nine miles north of Jerusalem, on the Nablus road) three days ago, when the Welsh and Home Counties troops made a strong attack on both aides of ■the Nablus road on a 12-mile front, and pushed back the enemy li miles. This operation' in the hill country, taken in -conjunction with the capture of Jericho and the high ground to the west of Jericho, gives us immensely strong lines round Jerusalem. In the continuation of our line westwards Irish troops forced the Turks from .the broken country, while the enterprise of the south-western county soldiers in the- foothills was fully rewarded by the ground gained. ■ One night the Indians ■rushed a hill 400 ft high, and completelysurprised the Turkish garrison. "Our aerial supremacy is being maintained. _ Though the German aviators show signs of more activity, they pay dearly for it. In the last two davs we made long flights over the Dead Sea to harass the enemy communications with Hedjaz, and dropped many bombs on Katrani station and the camps and aerodrome west of Kerak. excellent results being observed. Yesterday we bombed a station south of Katrani. [Kerak is eight miles east of the Dead Sea, near its southern end ; and Katrani, which is on the Damascns-Mecca or Hedjaz route, is 25 miles east of the southern end of the Dead Sea.]