File 756/1917 Pt 1 ‘ARAB BULLETIN Nos 1 to 65’ [‎430v] (865/1240)

— 8.2 —
, ' 19n m ii ps It is presumed that the small Turkish
poste which 0 had been stationed at Maarash Gha. and Ha,,
[all near Muweilah) ha TC also been withdrawn to Tebuk.
It appears that after the taking of Dhabah the Turkish
remnant were pursued along the Tebuk road by Ahmed Rafiyah
Tlx:: TJ nW pimt Fifty Turks are said to have been killed, the
[ s belg rteaed bT cavalry from Tebuk. This is the first
mention !f this Huweitat Sheikh, while the principal Huwe.tat
chief Audah Abu Tayyi and his cousin, Mohammed Dhailan,
are known to be loyal partisans of the Arab cause.
Before the capture of Wejh on January 24, the Turks had
been supplying Wejh from Tebuk via the Muweilah-Dhabah
road and not from El-Ala, the road from Muweilah to Tebuk
The boundaries of the Billi tribe run on the south from
El-Ala down the Wadi A seasonal or intermittent watercourse, or the valley in which it flows. Hamdh, and on the north from Kudr
(Qalaat el-Akhdar) on the Hejaz railway, down Wadi A seasonal or intermittent watercourse, or the valley in which it flows. Salmah to
Naaman Island. The tribe is about as numerous as the
Juheinah. There is still talk of Suleiman Pasha An Ottoman title used after the names of certain provincial governors, high-ranking officials and military commanders. Rifadah
coming in. His brother and most of his family are with Feisal
already. The last news received of him is that, shortly before
the capture of Wejh, he had retired to a place called Huweirah
el-Jibliyah in Wadi A seasonal or intermittent watercourse, or the valley in which it flows. Miyah, where he had about thirty-five tents.
The Billi chief most favoured by Feisal is Hamid Rifadah,
a cousin of Suleiman. This Hamid is about thirty-two years
of age, of medium height and though friendly and intelligent of
unimpressive appearance and somewhat lacking in distinction.
Some of the Beni Atiyah clans are said to have come in also
since the fall of Wejh. But so long as the Turks hold Tebuk in
strength, (they are said to have 900 cavalry besides half-a-
battalion in infantry in the place) this tribe will not come in
as a whole.
Now that the great mass of the Billi have rallied to Feisal,
1,500 Juheinah, who came up to Wejh, have been sent back to
Wadi A seasonal or intermittent watercourse, or the valley in which it flows. Ais to join Emir Abdullah. The latter has made his
headquarters at a place called Murabba, and there he awaits
Feisal’s advance inland before carrying out an attack on the
railway.
Reports state that the Turks are weakening the Medina
garrison in order to concentrate on the railway. Isolated posts
are being withdrawn and concentrations made at El-Ala, Medain
Salih and Febuk. Basri Pasha An Ottoman title used after the names of certain provincial governors, high-ranking officials and military commanders. is at El-Ala. The Medain
Salih garrison is said to include four Germans.