§ 62. Major Legge-Bourkeasked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs if he is aware that the village of Khirbet Sikka in Jordan has been attacked by Israeli troops eight times in the last two months; and what steps, through the United Nations and other means, Her Majesty's Government proposes to take to prevent such breaches of the armistice in the future.
§ Mr. TurtonThe village of Khirbet Sikka, which lies on the Jordan side of the armistice line west of Hebron, has been the scene of a number of incidents in the past two months. They have resulted in three fatal casualties and the216W wounding of several Israelis and Jordanians.
The Israel-Jordan Mixed Armistice Commission, which is the body responsible in the first instance for handling such affairs, has held two meetings to consider these incidents and found both sides at fault. The trouble appears to have been at least partly due to uncertainty as to where the demarcation line runs and the Commission has agreed to clarify this to the villagers.