ZAKKA KHELS.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 130, 25 February 1908, Page 7

ZAKKA KHELS.

A MOUNTAIN FIGHT. BRITISH CASUALTIES SMALL. BY TELEGRAPH —PIIESS ASSOCIATION—COrYMCIIT. Calcutta, February 23. Columns under Brigadier-Generals Anderson and Barratt attacked the Zakka Khels oil Friday. Tho cnomy. wero posted behind strong sangars on high hills around Halwa, seven miles from Chind. Tho positions wero carried, and tho towers Ijqlow.- wero destroyed. Major Douglas Forbes-Sompill, of tho Scafortli Highlanders, was killed. . General Sir James Willcocks, in command of tho expedition, says that Major ForbcsSompill was one of tho best officers in tho service. Ho was killed whilo'gallantly leading orio of His Majesty's finest battalions.

Two Indian non-commissioned ofßccrs and eight Sepoys wero wounded. They nro doing well. ' . General Willcocks attributcsi tho smallness' of tlio' loss under mountain warfare conditions in part to the pcace : training of the troops. Brigadier-General Barratt, r.by. a frontal attack, seized the hills, whils tho.Seaforth Highlanders entered tho Bazax Yalloy. Brigadier-General Anderson ■ simultaneously marched by; another valloy, and. debouched over the Khotal, delivering a, flank attack. , Tho enemy being reinforced, clung near tho , flanks of tho retiring Britishers, but mado no impression. ' . -,

THE AMEER. FORBIDS AID TO THE REBELS. (Rcc. Fob. 24, 10.22 p;m.) ' Kabul, February 2-i. 1 Tho Ameer has forbidden tho Afghan tribesmen to assist tho onomies of Britain, which, lie points out, is in friendly alliance with Afghanistan. J' - RAID IN PESHAWAR DISTRICT. , "Another daring raid (says tho "Pioneer") was carried out in the Peshawar district on January :5; A party of raiders, believed to,be Zakka Khels, and probably under tho leadership of the badmash and raider, iMultan, shortly after' eight o'clock attacked the camp and transport depot at Jalozai, situated about half way between Peshawar ■ and -Nowshera, on the road leading to Cherat.

" In spite of the'opposition'of the'guard stai tioned thero the raiders got, away with sixteen government mules, after having wounded two or. three, muloj corps drabies. "Later, when makingV,their, way..back across the border Iho same gang. attempted to loot the Sarai at Multanni, but' 1 tho people thero were oil ; thoi'alert and were successful in defending themselves. against the raiders. News of the"raid ivas' at 1 on'co sont into Peshawar-and -a, force of police was- dispatched in pursuit. A,double.company of the 57th Rifle .was also sent out to Bara to try to intercept them on their return.' ' Nothing, however, was seen of : theso raiders by them. '

• All the mules .which wore carried away ha<-e since been- returned' by some of the Akri Khels who are not on-good terms with the Zakka Khels, and -.who refused ' to, allow* tho stolen aiiimals to bo taken through their territory.'". ' ■ The lato Major ,thc : Hon. Douglas ForbesSempill, D.5.0., was born in- 1865, and was a son of the late Baron'Sempill. He entered the army in 1 1855,'. became . captain in. 1891, adjutant in, 1899, arid Major in 1903.- His. list of active service is ds", follows The Tfazara expedition 'in 1891 (medal' with 1 clasp), the Chitral relief, .force in. -1895 (medal with clasp), and ; South Africa in 1899 and 1900 (mentioned in 1 ' despatches " three times), Queen's medal with five clasps, King's medal'with two clasps,i and D.5.0.-. .