Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1946-06-18
britonsReported
as
Jews Hostages
Four Officers Seized
In Tel Aviv Club,
informant Declares
BY the Associated Press

JERUSALEM, June IA re-
liable informant said four British
officers were kidnapped today
from an officers club at Tel Aviv
by a dozen Jewish extremists
armed with tommyguns.
The new outbreak of terrorism
spreading throughout Palestine
came after wild night in Haifa
when nine Jews were killed in a
pitched battle with British troops
after the Jews attacked the central
railroad shops. The deaths during
gunflre and IS explosions at the rail-
way yards raised the toll in recent
days to Is deaths.
The informant reporting the kid
mapping at Tel Aviv said the bandits
were believed to be members of the
Jewish extremist organization, Irgun
Zvai Leumi The British officers
were believed seized as hostages
against the impending execution
of two Irgun members, sentenced
to death last week for participating
in a raid last March on British
Army camp.
Forced Into Taxicabs.
The dozen terrorists raided the
Hotel Yarkon, which has been a
leading officers club in Tel Aviv for
several years. Their victims were
blindfolded and forced into taxicabs
the informant said.
(The British War Office in
London expressed surprise when
informed of the reported kid
naping, asserting that this is
the first we have heard of it."
(Reuters reported from Tel
Aviv that the British 9Th Air
borne Division was securing the
city for the kidnapers and their
victims, reported to be flyers.
(The agency said two British
soldiers were seriously wounded
in Jerusalem when attackers
fired from a passing taxicabD
The underground Jewish radio
said at the week end some counter
measure would be taken against the
death sentences imposed on the
Irgun members by a military court
in Jerusalem.
While the battle of the Haifa rail-
yards proceeded last night, two un-
successful attempts were made to
bomb trains and halt them. Pales-
tine police said the engineer of a
train between Haifa and Lydia
ignored a red flag waved on the
tracks miles north of LYDIA. Shots
ratified around the cars, but no cas-
ualties were sustained.
Land Mine Explodes.
Other reports said land mine
exploded near Khanyuis, between
GAIA and the Egyptian border
frontier in the south, just after an
oil train passed. Reports said the
rails were repaired and service on
the LYDIA -Kanatara main line to
Egypt was not interrupted.
Latest advices from Haifa said the
railway shops and a powerhouse
were destroyed last night A loco
motive was ruined. Police continued
to Gordon off the area of the battle
Thousands of Jews marched
through the streets Of Jerusalem
this afternoon during the funeral
of Yehiel Weitz, who was killed
during one of yesterdays acts of
sabotage north of Haifa. All of the
city's shops, coffee houses and Offices
were closed during the rites at the
Jewish cemetery on the Mount OF
Olives.
The official announcement of the
killing of the nine Jews said five
persons, including two women, were
injured seriously and that IA men
and a woman were arrested
Five of the Jews were killed when
a civilian truck rushed a road block
in the Haifa Bay area. No casual
ties were reported among British
Army personnel.
Previously the government an