File 1341/1921 Pt 1 'Khorassan Intelligence Summaries 1921-1922' [‎652r] (951/1080)

A “ projector ” or searchliglit detacliment.
A Frontier regiment or brigade.
A regiment of town militia.
Kaakha .—A report just received gives the garrison as 1,200 men. It is
probably exaggerated.
Charjui .—The garrison has been estimated at 2,500 men, the majority of
whom are Muslims. Of these last 200 are cavalry, mostly Turkmans with old
pattern rifles. The total includes 400 Young Bokharans who are garrisoning
Old Charjui. Two heavy, 6 field, and 25 machine guns were seen also one
armoured car and one aeroplane, the latter in flying condition. On the 5th
instant a party of 350 with a heavy gun, 3 field guns, 2 aeroplanes, and much
ammunition were sent to Kerki. On the 7th a further detachment of 150
followed the above leaving the garrison as stated by the observer who left on
the 8 th instant.
On the 3rd March a troop train with about 500 “ centre ” troops arrived,
300 being diverted to Petroalexandrovsk in connection with the operations against
Juneid Khan. The remainder were believed to be for the same destination and
remained in their train.
The notorious anti-British agitators, Mehar Ali and Shams Ali, arrived
from Merv saying they were deputed by Nadir Mirza, Persian Consul at
Askhabad, to announce the conclusion of the Russo-Persian agreement. They
declared that the present ministry at Teheran was a “ labour ” one and that
the aristocratic regime “ had gone for ever.”
Tashkent .—An arrival who was there on 14th March estimates the garri
son at about 5,000, mostly Russians. Drafts had been sent to Moscow.
Reservists had been called up and were undergoing training. Two heavy
guns were seen oni the fort, 3 armoured cars with machine guns and two
aeroplanes in flying order were also enumerated. The observer says guns
are kept concealed but that a battery of six field guns patrols the town.
Khokand .—The garrison was given as 8,000 (10th March) of which 3,000
had lately arrived. These numbers are probably exaggerated. Russians
predominated. There were 3 armoured cars., two being kept at the railway
station, the third patrolling the town. There are three aeroplanes, one flies-
daily towards Marghelan, the other is used in operations against rebels, and
the third flies above the city. The concentration of troops at this point was
for operations against insurgent organizations. There appears to have been
three days’ fighting about the first week of March between Khokand and
Marghelan. The native forces suffered defeat but the Bolsheviks were unable
to follow up owing to the severity of the weather. The insurgent forces are
divided into four commands under Khal Khwaja, Mohakam Haji, Argesh,
and Muhammad Amin respectively, the supreme control being by Slier Muham
mad Ivufl
The Bolsheviks are credited with wishing to grant autonomy to the Sart
nation and it is said leaflets of a placatorv nature have been dropped from their
aeroplanes. Their embarrassments and perplexities elsewhere are thought
to have dicated this manoeuvre which is regarded with suspicion by some.
The observer savs the Sarts are well provided with munitions which they have
captured from their adversaries.
Samarkand .—The garrison was estimated to be on the 14th March about
4.000, Russians being in the majority. The fort, mounting two heavy guns,
dominates the old town which lies in a hollow. There are twelve field guns
which with cavalry, patrol the town. One aeroplane flies over the town, another
is not in flying order. Events in Bokhara and Petrograd constrained the
authorities to suppress news and to censor communications. The observer was
on a train of thirty carriages conveying families from Marghelan and Andijan,
evacuated on account of the constant raids. Persons captured in these raids are
released if Muslims—others are put to death, including women and children.
Rui Khaf. The news of the supersession of the Naib Salar of Herat is
confirmed by this observer. He reports a movement of Turkmans with their
sheep from the Kushk area into Afghanistan as the Bolsheviks will not allow
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