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Show TIMO-GEHAN . FORCt DEFEATED LONDON April 12. The Turkish and German forces in Palestine on Wednesday opened an offensiye, attacking at-tacking the British front near the coast, the war office announces. The statement follows. "On the morning of April lt. after a short bommbardment, the enemy assumed as-sumed the offensive against the coastal coas-tal sector of our front. Fighting lasted last-ed throughout the day. "Turco-German troops who penetrated pene-trated our advanced positions in the (in. tions of Berukin and Elkefer were ejected by counter attacks Our lines w re advanced at several points Substantial Sub-stantial losses were inflicted on the nemy and a few prisoners, both Turkish Tur-kish and German, were taken. Cavalry Pursues Turke. "On April 11, a Turki.-h attack di rected against our positions on the east hank of the Jordan, in the vicinity vicin-ity of El Ghorinlnyih, broke down with heavy losses under our artillery fire. Our mounted troops pursued the retreating re-treating enemy within a short distance dis-tance of Shunet -Nimrin "An attack directed against our position; po-sition; astride the Jericho-Nabulu road, west of the River Jordan, also was repulsed." In both Palestine and Mesopotamia the British have been carrying on sue cessful campaigns for several months and have accomplished the destruction destruc-tion of two Turkish armies. The situation situa-tion became such a desperate one for the Turks that iJie Germans sent troops to their ass'btance. Last week, for the first time, the- German war office of-fice referred In the' war report to Pal-estine Pal-estine Another indication that the Germans were planning offensive operations op-erations on that front was the statement state-ment a few days Hgo by Lieutenant Gi neral von Ardenne. a German military mili-tary writer, that the tide was about to turn in Syria and Palestine and that the recapture of Jerusalem had become a practicable possibility. Where Attack is Being Made. The British front extends across Palestine Pal-estine from the Mediterranean to the Jordan river, passing about fifteen miles north of Jeiusalem. Along the Medit erranean. wbwre the Turco-Ger-man attack is being made, the British have pushed some distance north of the I'ori of Jaffa, which is important because it serves as a base for the I British sea communications and also is connected hy railroad with Jerusalem. Jerusa-lem. The capture- of Jaffa and tho outline of the railway line probably are the immediate objectives of the enemy. In a speech in the house of commons on Tuesday, Premier Lloyd George said that in Palestine and Egypt together to-gether there were only two diisions of white troops, the remainder of the , Tlritish army being made up of Indians In-dians or of divisions with a very small proportion of white troops. |