FOURTH TURKISH ARMY SURROUNDED

Dominion, Volume 12, Issue 3, 28 September 1918, Page 7

FOURTH TURKISH ARMY SURROUNDED

IN DANGER OF ANNIHILATION FEW BRITISH CASUALTIES New York, September 2G. The fourth Turkish' Army, east of. the Jordan,', has been'.surrounded, and is in danger of annihilation. ■ The British casualties iii Palestine do .not exceed four thousand. The'.British in Palestine have' occupied Tiberias (or Tubariyeli) and' Somakh.. East'.cif the Jordan they have .captured." Amman.--Aus.-N.Z.:: .Cable Assn. » :. - .-.--.- -■ •;• (Tiberias is,on the-west shore "of-tho Lake of--Tiberias or Sea of Galilee. Semakh is.at-the southern.end,, two miles'east of-.'the. point.'where tlw Jordan leaves the lake. ..Amman is ,30 miles north-east of' the Dead Sea,] FURTHER ADVANCeIy OUR CAVALRY. PURSUING THE TURKS r ALONG . THE'HEDJAZ RAILWAY. ■ ■ London',- September 26. A communique from Palestine states: '■—"Our"' cavalry occupied Tiberias, Semakh, and Essamra, on tho" shores of Lake -.Tiberias-■ (Sea-of Galilee), in spite of a determined: resistance. East of tho Jordan the cavalry• occupied •Amman, and is pursuing, the Turks along the Hedjaz railway. Our casualties sirce September .18 are below . onetenth of the number, of prisoners."— Aus.-N.Z. Cable: Assn.-Reuter: ■ (Rec September -27,' 11.55 p.ni.) .-: London, September 26: A Palestine official.report.-states:— "The south -rand .western- -shores- -.of Lake Tiberias are generally in. ...our hands. Tho Turkish • garrisons resisted stiffly, but were overcome. Our cavalry has occupied Amman, and_ is now driving the-enemy up-the Hejaz railway into the arms of-the Arabs at Deras. Some of the enemy may escape to, Damascus;.others are going southward to the Dead Sea, with'the object of extricating the garrison, which the Arabs are" pressing hard.-"—Aus.-N.Z. Cable Assn.-Router. a remarkableTacihevement , EFFECT OF THE VICTORY IN THE • NEAR EAST.. ■ -

(Rec. September 28, 0.45 a.m.) : London, September 26. : General von Sanders fled to Nazareth only six hours before the arrival of our cavalry. The completeness of. the victory was due principally to tie skilful work of a large mass of cavalry. It was a remarkable achievement, almost without parallel in history.. Its effect in the Near East will-probably"be very great/ Syria is now open to invasion, and the Turkish communications with Mesopotamia cannot be considered top secure, and that fact is likely to pant lyse their efforts in Persia, and, with the Balkan victory, increase the fears of the Turks for their security in Europe. It must be remembered, however, that, although the battle was decisive as regards Palestine, it cannot in any larger sense, be called decisive. Even if we captured Aleppo, this would only the. evacuation of Upper Mesopotamia, and' would not affect, the main Turkish array in the Caucasus and Persia, which is based on the Black Sea ports. Tho most important, result is that it frees 1 our Palestine army for whatever use we like.-=Aus.-N.Z. Cable' Assn. .. ,