THE MIDDLE EAST.

Taranaki Daily News, 13 August 1920, Page 3

THE MIDDLE EAST.

SIEGE OF RUMALIA. By Telegraph. l —Press Simla, August 11. Details available from Bagdad of the siege of Rumalia, which wag recently relieved by a strong column, show that the garrison at Kumaliu consisted of seven platoons of the. 114 th Mahrattas and !)9th Infantry and 20(1 British civilians who wore working the railways. These held out for three weeks. Rations and ammunition were dropped into the serai which they fortified. The garrison further provided themselves by occasional sorties into the bazaars, which were made possible by aeroplanes bombing the outskirts of the town and distracting the attention of the investing army while the garrison rushed the bazaars.

A regiment of Sikhs made a hold attempt to Telieve the garrison, but the Arabs succeeded in cutting off the water from the canal upon which the regiment depended. ! The Sikhs had to retire, suffering heavy casualties. The Arabs finally fled on the approach of a strong column from Bagdad—Au3.-N,Z! Cable Assn.

BOLSHEVIKS IN PERSIA. i Simla, August 11. Teheran advices report that fighting has taken place between Kutchik Khan and his late Bolshevik allies. The latter looted and largely burnt down the rebel stronghold at Resht. They have proclaimed a general mobilisation and are luisuccessfully trying to conscript Persians between the ages of 18 and 45. The Shah presented Varosselsky, the Russian in command of the Cossack Division, with a diamond belted sword in recognition of his military services.— Aus.-N.Z. Cable Assn. DREAM OF SYRIA. Paris, August 11, Hedjaz has refused to sign the Turkish Treaty. The' Matin says that the King insists on Syria, being given to Feisul, indicating that his ambition is to create a vast Arab kingdom, in which his sons in Syria and Mesopotamia would only be h'js lieutenants.—Aus.-N.Z. Cable Assn.