TURKS BOXED IN.

Taranaki Daily News, 25 September 1918, Page 5

TURKS BOXED IN.

CEASE TO EXIST AS FIGHTING FORCE. ALL GUNS AND MATERIALS CAPTURED. Received Sept. 24, 10.13 p.m. London, Sept. 23. The Turkish roads of escape are blocked at Nazareth, Beisan, and Megaze, while the Nablus Road is cut at Ed Daze. The Turkish force westward of the Jordan is, therefore, boxed in. There are still some not prisonered, but they have ceased to exist as a fighting force. All the transport, guns, and rolling stock nave been captured. The original estimate that there are IS,OOO Turks westward of the Jordan referred to the bayonet strength and excluded artillery and machine-guns and other units. The total ration strength is 00,000, and the combatant strength 35,000. The Turkish force eastward of the Jordan consists of a riflo strength of between 6000 and 8000 and a ration strength of 30,000. It is situated on the line of the Hodjaz railway, and has not yet been dealt with.—Aus.-NZ. Cable Assoc.

A BRILLIANT EXPLOIT. THE KING'S FELICITATIONS. Received Sept. 24, 11 p.m. London, Sept. 23. The Press Bureau states that the King has telegraphed to General Allenby : ~*- "With pride and admiration, we received news of the ably-conceived and bril-liant!y-carried-out operations, in which the British, Indian, and Allied forces under your command, with the support of the Royal Navy, gained complete victory. I am confident tins will rank as one of the great exploits in tie history »f the British Empir* and ever stand as a memorable testimony to British leadership and the fighting qualities of the British and Indian troops."—Aus • N.Z. Cable Assoc, and Reuter.

ROUNDING UP REMNANTS. A FURTHER ADVANCE. London, S»pt. 23. Mr. Massey says: To-day's news h as good as the preceding day's. In tlie Jordan valley we made important ground. A few of the enemy had come down from Nablus and got across the Jisr-ed-Damieh ferry. The New Zeaknders at eight o'clock got across the track to this exit and rounded up 800 prisoners, including the staff commander of the Turkish 53rd Division. Apparently it brings bad luck to be commander of tins division, for in the first battle of Gaza the Australians caught the commander in his carriage. At one o'clock to-day the Hew Zealanders crossed the Jordan and secured the Damieh bridgehead, east of Jericho. The infantry, who rolled up the enemy from the west, 'had little to do to-day beyond taking the surrender of isolated parties, but they increased their captures of guns. The Irish, Welsh, and Indian infantry, operating about the Nablus road, got well north and east of Nablus, adding to the discomfiture of the retreating enemy. The Irish covered 21 miles, fighting over the mountains, in 30 hours. The cavalry approached Kefr Kanna and Seffarieh, north of Nazareth, yesterday. To-day the Yeomanry and Indian cavalry beat off an attack on the Tebrinah-Acre road, north of Nazareth, from the direction of Haifa. —Aus. N.Z. Cable Assoc.