AMMAN: Israeli forces opened fire this morning [Jan 5] on Jordanian positions across the river Jordan, a Jordanian military spokesman said.

Today at 8-50 local (0650 GMT) Israeli soldiers opened fire on the Jordanian positions, the spokesman said. The Jordanian forces fired back and the exchange continued for about two hours. The spokesman added that there was no loss of life on the Jordan side. The spokesman said the firing started after an “Israeli attack” on the Dhahart Al Najjar area, near the river.

Israel said three of its soldiers were wounded.

The firing started near Umal Shurat, scene of a major incident in which several people were killed on Nov 20 and 21 in the southern sector of the river, then spread to other posts. At first, small arms were used, but artillery went into action as the duel continued. Quiet was finally restored at 11-00 local time today, an Israeli spokesman said.

Meanwhile, an army spokesman in Tel Aviv said today that Arab patriots had damaged a small concrete building housing water control equipment in the village of Margaliot, in Upper Galilee, on the Lebanese frontier, in the latest of a long series of acts of sabotage. No one was hurt.

Published in Dawn, January 6th, 2018