ASMARA CAPTURED

Ashburton Guardian, Volume 61, Issue 146, 2 April 1941, Page 6

ASMARA CAPTURED

IMPORTANT TOWN IN ERITREA; if gif iUNffRED PRISONERS TAKEN. PROGRESS IN'ABYSSINIA. {|i»i€e& Preiss Association—Copyright j (Ree. 11.20 a.in.) LONDON, April 1. A crimttitrriique isshed bv heMquart6ys at Cairo states; “Ih Libya advanced element's of our forces were yesterday in'contact with enemy infdihtry and rii&Shaipsed units ih the Mersa Grfega sirea. u ‘/In EHtray Asmara is rioto iH British Hands. During! the last 48 - Hphrs a further BUO prisoners Werfc taken; including ahother brigade commander.

“Although in the AbySsiriifin ariea, cbffiinuriichtions have beeii extensively dahiagbd by the retreating Italian fbrbesy ohr advance from Dirfedawa astride the railway and road to Addis Abaßa is making rapid progress.

“In ail other sectors penetration into Southern Abyssinia is being enlarged, particuiarlv in the area north of Lake Rudolf.” n wmm . » ADVANCING ON ASMARA. DIFFICULTY OF TERRAIN. : PRISONERS IN ABYSSINIA.

LONDON, April 1

British forces are now about half way to Asmara, the capital of Eritrea, to-day. Ah indication' of the speed of the Italian withdrawal from Keren is given by the fact that gun emplacements thoroughly Suited to defence ' have been abandoned undamaged.

It 'is pointed out that the British forces still have considerable obstacles to surmount before they pan reach Asmara, 35 miles away.

British forces are still advancing stpSdily from Diredawa toward Addis Ababa. A Cairo cdmmuhiqtie states: Libya there is- no change in the sitiratibn. In Eritrea, our advance toward Asmara*, is continuing. In Abyssinia, Dire’dawa has been occupied by South A frican troops, who are again advancing westward. In other sectors our general forward movement is developing. The number of prisoners is steadily mounting while guns and other war material abandoned by the enemy are being collected in large quantities.”

The capture of Diredawa, which is on the road and railway between Addis Ababa, and JiMti,. cuts the orilv remaining route to the sea. The Italians are thus surrounded..