BRITISH TROOPS LAUNCHED SURPRISE RAIDS

Wanganui Chronicle, 10 March 1947, Page 5

BRITISH TROOPS LAUNCHED SURPRISE RAIDS

SEARCH FOR TERRORISTS IN PALESTINE Recd. 6 p.m. London, March 7. Twenty thousand British troops launched the biggest single military operation to track down criminals of the Stern gang and the Irgun Zvai Leumi in an area ranging from Rehovoth in the south to Haifa in the north, states the British United Press correspondent in Jerusalem. They carried out surprise raids at Rehovoth, Nathanya, and Hederah, where underground cells are known to exist, and found at least one arms cache, including modern flame-throw-ers, Sten guns, ammunition, and mines at Hedrah. It is oflicialy stated that 32 persons were detained during the searches. It is understood that they include at least one first-rank terrorist. The south-eastern part of ‘diamond town,” Nathanya, near Tel Aviv, was cordoned off in the early hours of today and placed under curfew. Telephonic communications with Ix-tlerah were severed. Nathanya is near the scene of several attacks on Army installations. A curfew has also been imposed in one part of Rehovoth, affecting about one-third of the population. Searches were carried out while aircraft flew low overhead. They were brought in after an exchange of spots early to-day. Gunmen opened fire on the Rishon le Zion police station, near Tel Aviv, and attacked a military jeep 300 yards from the station with machine-gun bursts. Police and troops gave chase, but the attackers escaped through a nearby orange grove.

One British officer and one British ■>oldier were injured when a land mine .-lew up a military staff car on the •<aifa-Tel Aviv road.