ISRAEL JETS WERE REPORTED TO HAVE FIRED ROCKETS AT A GROUP OF CAFES AT AIN HAZIR, NORTH-WEST OF AMMAN YESTERDAY (WEDNESDAY). EIGHTEEN CIVILIANS WERE KILLED AND TWENTY-FIVE INJURED IN THE RAID, WHICH THE ISRAELIS STATED WAS DIRECTED AGAINST AN EL FATAH TRAINING-CAMP.

THE RAID TOOK PLACE IN THE EARLY AFTERNOON, WHEN MANY PEOPLE WERE HAVING LUNCH IN THE CAFES. AIN HAZIR IS A REST PLACE ON THE AL-SALT TO WADI SHUAIB ROAD, WHICH IS USED BY TRAVELLERS GOING FROM THE EAST BANK TO THE OCCUPIED WEST BANK OF THE JORDAN.

JORDAN HAS ASKED THE INTERNATIONAL RED CROSS TO SEND AN OBSERVER TO THE SCENE OF THE RAID. YESTERDAY KING HUSSEIN VISITED THE AREA, AND SPOKE TO SOME OF THE WOUNDED IN HOSPITAL.

TROOPS WERE USED TO CLEAR THE DAMAGE, AND ONE OF THEIR DUTIES WAS TO DETONATE UNEXPLODED ROCKETS. A SPOKESMAN SAID THAT SIX TRUCKS, A TAXI AND A PUBLIC WORKS CAR WERE DESTROYED. THE ROAD WAS ALSO DAMAGED.