OPERATIONS IN INDIA.

Taranaki Daily News, 16 January 1918, Page 5

OPERATIONS IN INDIA.

! GUARDING THE FBDNOTR .± J BLOCKADE OP MOHMANDB. ' i - I A supplement to the contains a despatch from Qencgal Charles Monro, Commander-in-Chief wl'SSi India, on the minor military undertaken in the Indian Empire, jtoeMw ; 3| tag Aden, between March 10, 19J6, March 31, 1917. These are divided seven groups: Aden, South Persia. : east Persia,) Mekran 'Mission, TbMMnfC#gjH North-west Frontier, and the Indian Coaata. , Perhaps the most troublesome of ti#f|li various military operations were fbs|w£sH on the North-west Frontier. the Mohmand border, where'the att&Otl*-Jag of the tribes necessitated the tiou of the Peshawar and a portj«b.|oi*-ijj Uf p 2nd 'Division, and the attack oh Sjjpalli wekai b,y the Mahsuda in March, the activity of troops on the frdatler iritis confined to dealing with raids. These, however, I Derajat border, were almost iadMMjlraj and entailed considerable the troops guarding; the frontier. SO&Tb ins the last half of 1018 the attitude m'i some of the Mohmand tribes beeajtee -? tinctly hostile, and a nunlber of' nttf-. C were made across the. border into Peshawar area. To prevent„tlieM and as a punishment, a blockade, vu stituted along the Mohmamfbordßr, Ad V' a chain of blockliouses, connected ISpS© wire fence, was constructed and On November 14, a Mohmand lasM»r etr £ timated at 8000 concentrated Kor, threatening Shagkadar. The"'WW and 2nd Infantry Brigades ■of the Peshawar, Division, under the comnsaixl"'; *| of Major-General Sir P. Campbell, KOS.iCbfJ R>§.o., with a proportion of divigjttttel.' J| troops and detachments of Frontier WW.v <td tia and Constabulary had meonwhjle'iieW ! X« concentrated on the blockade line.' OfT" I .'; '}| ing to the difficulty of supplies it aafiiy. jf ed unlikely that the lashkar could ti(>'' ij main long in its position, and %it WtoSt, /!jj peared probable that night Attack woiud ?*. J be made on some part of the blockade line, after which the lashkar would perse .without punishment Major-Ge#*-! ;, !p "'•al Campbell accordingly ißSued «wder»*7;r| for an attack on the morning of Nbvetnk ssa her 15. The attack w&a <*ftrriod forward --3 into the hoot-hills occupied'by the eneioy in the vicintv of Haflz Kor, and casual- 'J| ties estimated at 100 killed and severely .' M wounded were inflicted. At 4 .pin. 0Ur,.3jl force withdraw unopposed. The Jjwhkar >»;1| had been completely broken up, and on November 10 reconnaissances 'Jthowif4 that it had completely disappeared, the-Si tribesmen having dispersed ■to theltfVr liomeg. k t ffMJ On March 2, 1017, a Mahsud gathering of some 2000 men advanced oji tlte post.-".'! of Sarwckai, in South Waziiiat<|B. part of the garrison of the post, cd of militia, under the command Major F. L. Hughes, moved out and Cti- 'si gaged the enemy, A skirmish ensued, la-Si which several casualties were inilipte<Jjon' ! 'f|i both sides, our losses including' Afajflr Hughes, killed while gallantly leading'®! his men, and the militia withdrew-to the post, which the enemy surrounded", "WlO i"H Derajat Movable Column, under the com* mand of Brigadier-General O. M, Bwd-'frffl win, D.5.0., moved forward by al route and Khajuri Knch and relifiVfH " 1 Sarwekai on March.!), the oncmv with. -.'l drawing to Hie vicinitv of Barwamj. F" The enemy encampments at ftarwand ■ -l were mirnt and the tviho«mpn riifpprwl. The movable column was then withdrawn • ' to Khajuri Kacli, and Inter to Tank. ll