File 1341/1921 Pt 1 'Khorassan Intelligence Summaries 1921-1922' [‎641v] (930/1080)

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Kalay .—Rumours of renewed fighting at Khiva have reached this frontier
village. A senior Bolshevik officer at Kaakha appears to have been making
enquiries of the'number of entrances to the natural fortress of Kalat-i-Nadiri.
Bolan to Chaacha .—No news.
Sarakhs .-—No decision appears to have been arrived at in the matter of the ^
extradition of the murderers of the 8 Turkmans whose murder was noted in a
previous Summary. Threats by their bereaved friends continue. The requisi
tion of cattle, wheat, etc., continues in this region. 16 Turkoman elders were
served with notices to furnish 100 sheep and 500 poods of wheat per man.
Failing compliance they will be deported to Askhabad. They are probably
among the village “ begs ” on whom the Bolsheviks declared war a short time
ago because of the unwillingness of their class to part with their stores of cereals,
etc., gratis.
Trans-Frontier.
104.— Baku. — Nil.
Krasnovodsk .—A correspondent at Jiristan gives the force at Krasno-
vodsk as 6,322, 12 field gams, 22 machine guns, 4 aeroplanes, 7 armoured cars, 2
searchlights. M ere it not that some movement of troops has passed west of
whose destination nothing has transpired and of which proof exists in the pub
lication of Charjui garrison orders and Artik train reports, this account would
appear fantastic, or at best very highly exaggerated. Confirmation in part or
of the whole must be awaited.
. Arvat. The same correspondent gives the garrison at the time of
writing (31st March) as 2,500, including 18 machine guns, 7 field guns, 1 search
fight and 2 armoured cars. If true this would be in all probability a portion of
t le same force as is at Krasnovodsk and is possibly awaiting transport.
„ AsA7m7mr/.—Owing to the events in Khorasan, detailed in the first part of
tais Nummary, it has been difficult to get information from across the frontier
owing to the detention of travellers. The garrison would appear to be in pro
cess of diminution owing to elements of the 1 st Turkestan Division being allowed
to proceed on indefinite leave. Units mentioned in “ Nabat ” of 28th March
will be found in the Appendix.
Artik .—No news.
Kaakhn. The garrison is mentioned variously as 800 and 900 but in a state
of constant flux. One informer says the troops are so destitute as to be bearg-ino-
at house doors. ^
Merv. There is little change to be noticed in the reports coming from this
^ ntrG f ^i 10 §’ arrison remains stationary at the figure quoted last week (3,500)
though different observers do not give the same numbers borne by the numbers
present. All observers give the number of wireless stations as two, one stating
they are connected by a wire^probably telephone. Troops are said to have
passed both east and west during the latter part of March, which would seem to
be confnmed by die Artik report. Food is very scarce and a strict house to house
search was m progress at the time of the report. The notorious propagandist
Mehar Ah, is continuing his activities. 1 ^pa^anuisr
Charjm.—The quote a Russian idiom, the town and the bridge over the Amr
Darya were declared “ to be in a state of siege ” by a garrison order issued^
confined to e tlmiT n r andai hi 0n March and whereb y aI1 inhabitants were
m ined Ip then houses between 6-0 p.m. and 6-0 a.m. of the 19-20th March Thh
The^ArtikDa p '' °a which the authorities wished to conceal.
a ClUC t0 the dir<!Cti0n 0f bn.
reoisterinflliemsllyls fs ?nd f ne , ral inse curity many Bokharans are
ployed to track down nodSttfiXo?
I
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