REBEL KING’S REVERSE

Sun (Auckland), Volume III, Issue 695, 21 June 1929, Page 9

REBEL KING’S REVERSE

NADIR KHAN ADVANCING ON KABUL WINS NOTABLE VICTORY (Australian and X.Z. Press Association) ! DELHI, Thursday. The forces of the rebel King of j Afghanistan, Bacchasakao, have suf-j fered a heavy reverse at the hands of i General Nadir Khan, who is now marching on Kabul with a large force. Baccha's army lost more than 1,500 killed and 500 captured. Large quantities of war material also fell into the hands of the victors whose losses totalled 17 killed and wounded. Tribal women fought for Nadir Khan. Three of them were killed. Nadir Khan, who formerly was Afghan Minister of War and Minister to France, some weeks ago wrote to Bacchasakao asking him to abdicate and promising him full pardon. The rebel king sent a vigorous reply and distributed pamphlets by airplane putting a price on the general's head. The reward offered was £3,000 if Nadir were captured alive, or £2,250 for his dead body. In addition, rewards of £750 were offered for the capture of each of Nadir’s two brothers. TREASON ALLEGED Bacchasakao declared in his reply that Nadir Khan and his friends were guilty of treason to Afghanistan, and claimed that they were responsible for the assassination of ex-King Amanullah’s father in 1919. Later, he said, they plotted against Amanullah himself, but when their schemes failed they migrated “against the commandments of Islam, from the Moslem Kingdom to an infidel land.” [This was a reference to Nadir Khan becoming Afghan Minister to France.] The reply continued: Because, during their stay in Europe, they had partaken of ham and bacon, which permeated their blood vessels, blackening their fibre and veins, they, on their arrival in' Afghanistan, - rose against me and instigated the people to rebel. For the above reasons I consider it lawful to take their blood.