1.
SV TROOPS ON BRIDGE CRACKED BY EXPLOSION ZOOM INTO CRACK
0.11

2.
SV TROOPS TO CRATER IN ROADWAY
0.26

3.
CU CRATER TILT TO SOLDIER LOOKING ON
0.35

4.
SV SOLDIER AND PRESSMAN
0.40

5.
SV & CU BLOWN-UP BULLDOZER
0.48

6.
SV SOLDIER STANDING BY BULLDOZER
0.54

7.
GV CRATER IN ROADWAY, ROAD BLOCKED EITHER SIDE BY BOULDERS PAN TO LORRY MAKING DETOUR ROUND OBSTACLE.
1.04

8.
CU CULVERT UNDER ROAD TILT TO CRATER ABOVE (2 SHOTS)
1.25

9.
SV CRATER, TROOPS STANDING BY
1.33



Initials PS/14.00 PS/15.22



Script is copyright Reuters Limited. All rights reserved

Background: THE JORDANIAN GOVERNMENT TODAY (31 MARCH) ACCUSED PALESTINIAN COMMANDOS OF FRESH ACTS OF SABOTAGE FOLLOWING EXPLOSIONS ON A RAILWAY TRACK SOUTH OF AMMAN AND A CULVERT AND TELEPHONE LINES IN THE JORDAN VALLEY.

YESTERDAY (TUESDAY) THE SAME INTERIOR MINISTRY SPOKESMAN ACCUSED THE COMMANDOS OF BLOWING UP TWO BRIDGES AND A BULLDOZER ON THE ROADS FROM AMMAN TO THE DAMIA BRIDGE ON THE JORDAN RIVER. THIS FILM SHOWS THE AFTERMATH OF THESE EXPLOSIONS, WHICH TOOK PLACE YESTERDAY MORNING.

THE GOVERNMENT SUGGESTED THE COMMANDOS WERE TRYING TO CUT TRAFFIC BETWEEN AMMAN AND THE OCCUPIED WEST BANK OF JORDAN, AND TO INTERFERE WITH MOVEMENTS OF THE JORDAN ARMY.

THE SPOKESMAN ALSO DENIED COUNTER-ACCUSATIONS BY YASSER ARAFAT, LEADER OF THE PALESTINE LIBERATION ORGANISATION, THAT JORDANIAN TROOPS WERE RUSHED TO AMMAN LAST NIGHT TO CARRY OUT A MASSACRE.

SYNOPSIS: THE JORDANIAN GOVERNMENT HAS ACCUSED PALESTINIAN COMMANDOS OF BLOWING UP TWO BRIDGES AND A BULLDOZER ON ROADS LEADING FROM AMMAN TO THE JORDAN RIVER AND THE OCCUPIED WEST BANK. THIS WAS ONE OF THE BRIDGES THAT WAS SABOTAGED. THE BRIDGE ITSELF WAS LITTLE MORE THAN A CULVERT FOR FLOODWATER, BUT EXPLOSIVES PLACED IN THE TUNNEL BLEW A FAIR-SIZED HOLE IN THE ROAD. AN INTERIOR MINISTRY SPOKESMAN SAID IT APPEARED THE COMMANDOS WERE TRYING TO DISRUPT CIVIL AND MILITARY TRAFFIC BETWEEN AMMAN AND THE KEY DAMIA BRIDGE LEADING TO THE OCCUPIED WEST BANK OF JORDAN.

A BULLDOZER BEING USED TO BUILD A NEW ROAD TO THE JORDAN WAS ALSO BLOWN UP. IT WAS A COMPLETE WRECK AND PIECES OF METAL WERE BLOWN SEVERAL FEET (METRES) AWAY.

FURTHER DOWN THE OLD ROAD ANOTHER BRIDGE WAS BLOWN UP. THIS TIME THE ROAD HAD TO BE CLOSED, BUT A DETOUR WAS IN OPERATION WITHIN HOURS. AGAIN THE EXPLOSIVE WAS PLACED IN A DRAINAGE CULVERT UNDER THE ROAD. ALL THREE EXPLOSIONS HAPPENED WITHIN A FEW HOURS EARLY ON TUESDAY AND THERE WERE MORE THE NEXT DAY. THEY MARK A NEW STAGE INT HE DETERIORATING RELATIONS BETWEEN THE COMMANDOS AND THE JORDAN AUTHORITIES, WHICH BEGAN LAST WEEK WITH THE SHOOTING AT IRBID.