File 1341/1921 Pt 1 'Khorassan Intelligence Summaries 1921-1922' [‎671v] (990/1080)

4
Bairam February. 1,200 troops mostly Musulmans including
100 Turkman cavalry. 4 field-guns, 1 airplane. 3 troop-trains passed west
wards during tbe previous week, 2 for Askhabad with troops and armoured
cars and 1 for Kushk.
Takhta Bazar—Sih February. 3,500 troops mosfly Musulmans with
Eussian or Jewish officers. 500 mounted troops among whom are Taimuris,
Jamshadis, and Hazaras included. These are supposed to be employed on
petrol duties but the looting of Afghan and even of Turkman frontier villages
by them is winked at by the Bolsheviks. 3 heavy, 8 field guns, 2 armoured
cars.
On January 29th 20 wagons containing wheeled transport were despatched
to Merv reputedly for Askhabad.
Some 25 Indians are employed in government departments.
There is no direct report from Kushk but the garrison was reported to
have been slightly reduced by drafts to Askhabad.
Askhabad. —4th February. Beports on this and somewhat later dates
estimate a strength of 8,000 to 10,000. Constant troop movements, however,
render an accurate estimate difficult, and even more complicated by arrivals
and troops in transit from both directions. The main' current, however, is
westwards. According to a reliable source at the end of January the
authorities received instructions to prepare 300 cots for wounded expected
from east, and some of the latter are reported to have arrived. No details
are available as to the source from which they w T ere to come.
From various sources the following units are or till lately w r ere present:
a Turkistan battalion, a Frontier guard formation, a regiment of the 11th
Division arrived from Baku, the Ginsburg (Kahka) battalion, 3rd Astrachau
battalion, 7th Kuban cavalry (at Kashi), 6th Sart regiment, and the 9fck
Daghistani cavalry from Krasnovodsk.
Something in the nature of a railway extension has been commenced and
carried through certain streets of the city, giving rise to a rumour of railway
construction to Gaudan. (This would be a most serious engineering under
taking and most improbable in present circumstances.)
The Persian Consul a few days ago telegraphed to the Governor-General
that dissensions had arisen between Bolshevik sections at Askhabad and that
conditions in Turkistan generally were unsettled.
B.rasmvodsk.—k,WQ troops were reported present on the 2nd Februan
causing much congestion in the town. On the 30th January 300 troops lefl
for an unknown destination which was supposed to be Bandar Gaz (possibh
Hassan Quli as no report confirming this surmise has been received) bul
sailings to Baku had been cancelled on account of the epidemic, and even the
unloading of oil-ships from Baku was held up for quarantine.
, who T as presen(: on the 7th -February estimates the
strength at 2,000, an equal number having left for Baku 2 days previously
Very alarmist rumours regarding tire state of affairs at Baku were then pre-
valent at Krasnovodsk and its. imminent evacuation was spoken of. It is
o^hLlth'cTnditionf ^ COnsidered llecessar J to despatch the troops in spih
uj. j\.mva.
, 1 ^uary. ine total of Bolshevik troops in the Khana
was estimated at about 8,000, tbe majority being Musalmans The garrison
Pet.o-Alexandrovsk, mostiy Russians, is thought to account for 8,000 of tf
on the HtWannl T 2 ’ 0(l0 j Fad practically ceased t
Aman vt t rdi J SakM y i^ ai 1 Kh .! P ^ anUncle of . the late Khan of &Fii
and fer the next ter r] UCCei i ^ a ^ a( ? ed ^ die BffiHuwik forces in various plac(
ensue A ^ ‘Nunffier^/T^ 8 f^ arp with, many casualties on both sid
to desert to Junaid J 11 A ma ?, ^ ^ e ^°^ ev ^ > rari ^ s seized the opportuni
Outlying detachment* w ■ e °J snevi ^ s are sa id to have lost several gur
Junaid was renorted tn hp 1G ^ ldra ,Y n towns and at the end of Januai
these. At the samp Hm . saCGes sfully interfering with the food supplies f
Resumed at Khiva. 6 m ermi)ted negotiations were said to have bet