TURBULENT TRIBESMEN

Waikato Times, Volume 108, Issue 18113, 2 September 1930, Page 7

TURBULENT TRIBESMEN

SERIOUS CLASH. BRITISH CAPTAIN SHOT DEAD. HOSTILE MULLA SLAIN. (Official Wireless.) (Received Sept. 2, 11.15 a.m.) RUGBY, Sept. 1. Extraordinary circumstances attendingl a serious clash between the Government forces and a large armed party of Hath! Khel Waziris, which occurred near Domel, in the Bannu district last week, are described in the Government of India’s weekly appreciation of the situation issued to-night. It appears that a mixed force of regular infantry, frontier constabulary, and police had moved out from Bannu in the early morning to occupy ground where a meeting under the hostile mulla, Fazd Quadir, had been advertised, to effect the arrest of the leading agitators. The mulla and his adherents appeared with a large gather- ■ ing of armed followers and sent a message to the station that they were prepared to surrender themselves for arrest, but only on condition that they were permitted to march with their armed following, first to the place of meeting and thence to the .Bannu gaol, where they would give themselves up. A magistrate and native political agent were sent to parley with the leaders, but a hostile lashkar (raiding force) of the mulla’s followers, meanwhile continued its advance towards an adjoining hamlet. There they came up against a platoon of infantry, which moved out to stop the lashkar’s advance. 'Captain Ashcroft, who was with the platoon, was attacked by one member of the lashkar, and while attempting to defend himself was shot dead from behind by another. A general engagement at close quarters with hand fighting took place. The Government casualties were nine killed .(including 'Captain Ashcroft), and 10 wounded, and the hostile casualties were 42 killed (including the mulla Fazd Quadir), 30 wounded and more than 60 taken prisoner. The situation was cleared up with the help of the loyal Hathi Khal Wazir, Malika, who sent a tribal force in pursuit of the hostile laskhar.