Clash With Tribes

Sun (Auckland), Volume IV, Issue 1066, 2 September 1930, Page 9

Clash With Tribes

PITCHED BATTLE IN INDIA

Officer Shot in the Back

HEAVY DEATH LIST ON BOTH SIDES

United P.A.—By Telegraph—Copyright

Received A'-’.lo p.m. RUGBY, Monday. A SERIOUS clash between the Government forces and a •fa large armed party of Hathi Kliel Wazirs, which occurred near Dome!, in the Bannu district, last week, is described in Ilie Government of India’s weekly appreciation of the situation there. A hand-to-hand clasli resulted in heavy casualties on both sides, nine of the Government forces being killed.

It appears that a mixed force of regular infantry, frontier constabulary and police had moved out from Bannu in tlio early morning to occupy ground where a meeting under the hostile Mulla Fazl Qadir had been advertised, and to effect the arrest of the leading agitators. The mulla and his adherents appeared with a large gathering of armed followers, and sent a message stating that they were prepared to surrender themselves for arrest, but only on condition that they were permitted to march with their armed following first to the place of meeting, and thence to Bannu gaol, where they would give themselves up. The magistrate and a political taljsildar were sent to parley with the leaders, but a hostile lashkar of the mulla’s following meanwhile continued its advance toward an adjoining hamlet, and there they came up against a platoon of infantry, which moved out to stop the lashkar’s advance. SHOT IN THE BACK Captain Ashcroft, who was with the platoon, was attacked by one member of the lashkar, and, while attempting to defend himself, was shot dead from behind by another. A general engagement at close quarters, with hand-to-hand fighting, took place. The Government casualties were nine killed, including Captain Ashcroft, and 10 wounded, and the hostile casualties were 42 killed, including the Mulla Fazl

Quadir, and 30 wounded. More than 60 were taken prisoners. The situation was cleared up with the help of the loyal Hathi Khel Wazir, Malika, who sent, a tribal lashkar in pursuit of the hostile tribesmen. The situation on the Peshawar district border remained quiet ami the area of hostile activity has moved south-west, toward Kurrara and the Tochi Valley. The position is well in hand, but contains serious possibilities. TERRORISTS BUSY Reference is made to the terrorist activity in Bengal. The Legislative Council, by passing the Bengal Criminal Law Amendment Act, recently furnished the executive with special powers to deal with the movement, and it is hoped their vigorous use will bring it under effective control. But. the difficulties of preventing isolated outrages are considerable. The report mentions that the educational boycott is losing strength, and picketing at the Allahabad University has been abandoned owing largely to the opposition of the students themselves. But the boycott of foreign goods continues to remain the main success of the congress movement. The consequent distress of many thousands of Indian dealers is increasing. The report expresses the view that generally the enthusiasm for the civil disobedience movement is declining, but as its failure becomes more pronounced the activities of those who favour violence are likely to increase.