ALLIES NOW BEYOND SIDON

Southland Times, Issue 24460, 13 June 1941, Page 5

ALLIES NOW BEYOND SIDON

ADVANCE ALONG SYRIAN COAST ROAD TROOPS 14 MILES FROM BEIRUT (United Press Association —Telegraph Copyright) (Rec. 1.15 a.m.) LONDON, June 12. Allied troops advancing along the Syrian coast road towards Beirut are now six or seven miles north of Sidon. Sidon is 20 miles north of Tyre and the same distance south of Beirut. Beirut was raided four times during the night, according to unofficial reports from that city.

Australian and Scottish troops forced the crossing of the Litani river, north of Tyre, in the face of heavy fire. The Scots landed on the opposite bank of the river first and capturing a Vichy battery, turned the guns on the defenders. This landing was a ticklish operation and some of the Scots were taken prisoner, but they were rescued half-an-hour later by the Australians. The Ankara radio states that two British columns have captured Deir ez Zor, on the Euphrates, 70 miles inside the Syria-Iraq border.

There was air activity over Palestine during the night and' it is reported that one plane was shot down over Haifa.