The Waterbury Democrat., 1946-06-18
Underground Bores Teeth ToMiIitory
 Anglo Officers
 Kidnapped, Shot
 In Holy Lond

Jerusalem, June 1S-UF Five British officers were kidnapped at Tel Aviv today and an attempt was made to assas- sinate two Britons in Jerusalem as casualties in three days of Holy Land violence mounted to ct least l8 dead and scores wounded.
 Continued outbreaks attributed to Jewish underground forces took on the aspects of a full-hedged casn- paign against the British. Violence against British army officers here and in Tel Aviv indicated 6 swing from big scale sabotage to the Brit- ish military as a major target.
 At Tel Aviv, three British officers were Kidnapped from an officers club. Early reports suggested they were seized as hostages for two members of the Stern Gang" of Extremists whom military court sentenced to death.
 Two Seriously Hurt
 Another British officer and c British soldier were attacked on King George Avenue in the heart of Jerusalem. Both were reported wounded seriously.
 A few hours earlier, nine Jews were killed in a night battle ct Haifa, where the port area and railroad shops were rocked and blackened by IS explosions and re- Sultant fires.
 A pitched battle of several hours at Haifa ended early today with big stretches of the port and ratl sec tions snambles. Besides the nine dead, il were injured, including three women. It was one of the most costly of the long series Of out- bursts in Palestine in recent months.
 The bloodShed and nationwide resttveness revolved around a show Of strength by the Jewish under. ground army and stern efforts by the British military to suppress k.
 Eight Bridges Blown
 The Haifa battle closely followed the blowing up of eight Jordan River bridges and sporadic out. bursts at points scattered through out Palestine.
 The bodies of two dead Jews, one Of whom was carrying 6 revolver, were found this morning near the railroad workshops which had been damaged badly by the explosions during the night. Seven Jews were killed in the skirmishing of several hours. Five, including two women, were injured seriously and six were wounded less seriously.
 Fifteen Jews, among them one woman, were jailed. A quantity of pistols, grenades and other arms were seized. The British army was understood to have suffered no casualties at Hatfa.
 Nearly 2,000 illegal Jewish irlmi- grants were reported nearing the Palestine coast in two ships while British army and police forces searched towns and countryside fog extremists. One report suggested the immigrants might have landed e. cretly yesterday during the turmoil following explosions and fires in the Haifa port area.
 Police Transferred
 Neutral sources predicted that Palestine stands on the verge of another period of riots. Most cb- servers attributed the new outbreak to Haganah, the secret Jewish re- EiStance army.
 All but two British policemen sta. tioned in the Jewish coastal city of Tel Aviv were transferred to Jaffa. All traffic entering and leaving Tel Aviv was searched for suspects and arms.
 British armored cars rushed to the Jerusalem- Jericho Road to re- inforce RAP. police who trapped scores of suspected Extremists flee~ ing the ancient capital, 1t was re- ported. An unconfirmed report said military forces fought small group of Extremists in the hills near Jerusalem at midnight.
 Available evidence indicates the Jewish underground, embittered by Ernest Beving recent remarks on Palestine, Ina Sdecided to show how strong 1t is. There is a widespread belief among Palestine Jews that the British intend to liquldate and have underestimated its strength.