File 1341/1921 Pt 1 'Khorassan Intelligence Summaries 1921-1922' [‎421r] (489/1080)

SECRET.
INTELLIGENCE SUMMARY FOR THE WEEK ENDING SEPTEMBER 10th, 1921.
^ 211 .
K HO R AS AN.
Meshed .—The development of the situation into one of civil war, which
contingency was forecasted some little time previously, may now be confirmed.
The exact position of affairs is unfortunately a little obscure, for not only
is news not permitted to reach Meshed except through gendarme channels but
agents of this office have become intimidated and are not coming forward.
Those coming in from beyond Meshed have been arrested, their communica
tions opened and read, and reports arriving by post subjected to the scrutiny
of the Censor.
The arrest of the chief agent employed by this office was ordered by
Muhammad Taqi Khan by telegram from Turbat-i-Haidari where he then was.
The man was subsequently released by the kind insistence of the Consul
General, nevertheless the service of intelligence is temporarily disorganized
by the occurrence. This intimidation is affecting not only the internal news
service but also that concerned with trans-frontier affairs.
The situation in the south-east of the Province may be roughly sum
marised thus:
The movement directed on Fariman and recorded in last week’s Summary
was pushed south, resulting in the capture and loot of Qala Nao. With that
achieved further action in this sector appears to have stopped, Muhammad
Taqi Khan’s gendarmes holding the line Qala Nao—Karezga—Turbat-i-
Haidari. At this stage the gendarme leader appears to have protruded his
right and to have forced, or to have been forced to accept, an engagement at
a place called Karez, 15 miles south-east of Turbat-i-Haidari and between that
town and Rui Khaf.
The results of this engagement could not have been satisfactory, for
Muhammad Taqi Khan left Meshed by motor car for Turbat-i-Haidari on the
6th instant, later advices stated he had fallen back on Turbat, losing two guns
and some artillery personnel by the blowing up of the ammunition carried
thereon. The same report gives the number of casualties as fifty on each side,
but this is denied by Meshed headquarters in the case of the gendarme force.
The disposition of the gendarme force on the Fariman front are given in
the Appendix. The total force at Turbat-i-Haidari is now about 600.
The tribesmen are astride the Turbat-i-Haidari—Rui Khaf road. Their
leaders are Shuja-ul-Mulk, Saiad Haidar, Salar Khan Baioch, Salar Shuja,
Jafar Khan, Rais-i-Amnia, and Imad-uhMumalik. Their numbers are vari
ously estimated at from 1,000 to 3,000. One informant gives the rationing
of the tribes as comprising 24 kharwars of bread and 40 sheep a d ly. As
suming this to be the case and that each man’s bread ration is two pounds
per day the force present would be 7,500 which at present is not possible.
The losses of the gendarmes have been concealed, or at the most one or ,
two individual casualties confessed to. This does not convince the sceptical
though for during the week a doctor and cart with bandages were sent south;
cloth and cotton wool are being sent to the front from Turbat-i-Haidari; two
more doctors were impressed during the week and sent to Turbat-i-Haidari;
a visitor to the gendarme hospital in Meshed w-as made to sign a statement
that he would not divulge the number of wounded he had seen therein.
During the time Muhammad Taqi Khan was on this front a diversion was
created in his rear by the issue to certain prominent citizens of the terms
upon which the Persian Government were prepared to meet him. These
terms were discussed and the majority was in favour of his accepting them.
To counteract the situation thus created and which was unfavourable to his
ambitions and aspirations he returned to Meshed on the 10th instant, inaugu
rating his return by the -wholesale arrest of individuals who might seem to be
•in favour of his yielding to the Persian Government. Those not yet arrested
feel themselves to be proscribed, EjNjC. in UsTDJA jGr^
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