JEW TERRORISTS ATTACK BRITISH HEADQUARTERS

Wanganui Chronicle, 10 March 1947, Page 5

JEW TERRORISTS ATTACK BRITISH HEADQUARTERS

FAILURE OF APPEAL TO OUTLAW GANGS Recd. 10.50 p.m. London, March 9 A British Guardsman and four Jewish terrorists were killed in an attack against Citrus House, British military headquarters at Tel-Aviv, reports Reuter’s Jerusalem correspondent. A British constable, a Palestinian constable and 15 Jews were injured. The British repulsed the attack after a lengthy exchange of shots. The terrorists used mortars and machine-guns. Three heavy explosions heralded the attack. The terrorists began shooting when challenged by a sentry. Another gang threw grenades at Arona police station, near Citrus House, and wounded two Arab policemen. Terrorists left booby traps and road mines. Two armoured cars blown up by mines were part of the military and police force rushed to Citrus House. No casualties occurred among the crews. Billlets cutting electricity wires caused a black-out in part of Tel-Aviv. Britfth soldiers in another pa*t. of Tel-Aviv were attacked with mortars. Terrorists made a diversionary attack on Jaffa police station. The British United Press correspondent reports that oil tanks in the neighbourhood of Tel-Aviv railway station were on lire. They were seen burning after the attack on Citrus House. Recd. 9.15 p.m. March 8 The Jerusalem correspondent of the “Daily Telegraph” says that responsible Jewish quarters yesterday contacted the Irgun and Stern gangs independently, but failed to persuade them to call off their attacks on British troops. The sponsors of this action say they took the step after receiving a "gentle hint” that the army would shut the banks in the martial law area if the attacks continued. Both gangs were found to be unsympathetic. Irgun said their attacks might be called off if the Palestine question was submitted to the U.N.O. under United States supervision. Both gangs told the intermediaries that their recent outrages were of a retaliatory nature. The British, they said, persisted in treating those of their members they caught as criminals, instead of recognising their military status as “underground” soldiers. adcJ. J pm. Jerusalem, March 8

Masked men appeared among crowds in Tel-Aviv streets at mid-day and flung Irgun and Vaileumi banners over power and telephone lines. One banner read: ‘So long as the British rule we continue our fight for liberty.” The men disappeared into the crowds before British patrols arrived. The patrols removed the banners.