WRECKED RAILWAY BRIDGE; WRECKED LINES; DAMAGED ROAD BRIDGE; CRATER IN; ROAD; DAMAGED VEHICLES




Initials GEP/VS/CR/SC



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Background: RENEWED ARTILLERY FIRE THIS MORNING (TUESDAY) ACROSS THE JORDANIAN-ISRAELI BORDER, FOLLOWED INCIDENTS EARLIER THIS WEEK WHICH CUT OFF AND RAIL TRAFFIC SOUTH OF AMMAN.

A JORDANIAN MILITARY SPOKESMAN SAID THAT FOUR PEOPLE WERE KILLED AND SEVEN INJURED WHILE SIX CARS WERE DESTROYED WHEN ISRAELI FIGHTER PLANES ATTACKED A LINE OF CARS NEAR THE AL-HASSA DISTRICT ON THE DESERT ROAD BETWEEN AMMAN AND MA'AN.

HE CLAIMED THAT THE ISRAELIS THEN LANDED A HELICOPTER-BORNE FORCE WHICH BLEW UP THE FREIFRAH ROAD BRIDGE 120 KMS. (75 MILES) SOUTH OF AMMAN, AND A NEARBY RAILWAY BRIDGE.

THE RAILWAY BRIDGE, 10 KMS. (6 MILES) FROM THE FREIFRAH ROAD BRIDGE, IS ABOUT 25 METRES (80 FEET) LONG AND 12 METRES (40 FEET) HIGH. IT IS EXPECTED TO BE REPAIRED IN THREE WEEKS. THE JORDANIAN RAILWAY DEPARTMENT IS CONSIDERING CARRYING GOODS FROM AMMAN BY RAIL, TAKING THEM ACROSS BY ROAD TO TRAINS AT THE OTHER END TO CONTINUE THE JOURNEY TO MA'AN.

THE REPAIRS ON THE FREIFRAH BRIDGE ARE EXPECTED TO TAKE A MONTH AND COST ABOUT 3,000 DINARS (3,400 STERLING). ROAD TRAFFIC IS USING A TWO MILE LONG (3 KM.) DIRT TRACK TO BY-PASS THE DAMAGE.