Strong Rebel Army

Sun (Auckland), Volume II, Issue 543, 21 December 1928, Page 9

Strong Rebel Army

INSURGENTS NEAR KABUL British Legation Safe So Far (United PA. —By Telegraph — Copyright) (Australian and N.Z. Press Association) Reed. 11.5 a.m. DELHI, Thursday. NEWS from Kabul by plane states that strong rebel forces from the north are nearing the city; but there are no disturbances in the capital itself. The rebels have established between Jalalabad and Kabul a strong position which has prevented reinforcements from reaching Kabul.

Armed bandits led by the notorious brigand Bachasakao caused disturbances near the capital. The Jalalabad region is unsafe owing to bands of marauding tribesmen. Afghan relief forces are proceeding to Kabul.

A British Official Wireless message says: A message displayed on a white strip set out on the lawn of the British Legation at Kabul stating “Fly high; do not land; all well” was read by a Royal Air Force airplane which flew over the Legation. The warning not to land was probably dictated by the fact that the rebels in the neighbourhood were mostly people who had been recently

bombed by Afghan planes, and being unlikely to differentiate between one machine and another would be liabie to open fire on any machine within range. Earlier information by telegraph from the Legation stated that the insurgents had notified the British Minister that they had no desire whatever to interfere with the Legation. Sir Francis Humphreys, the Minister, talked with them at the Legation gates and warned them to respect all legations, their foreign occupants being the guests of Afghanistan. The British women in Kabul are Lady Humphreys, Mrs. Gould and her two children, Mrs. Stranger and one child, and Miss Pulford.