5668 SUPPLEMENT TO THE LONDON GAZETTE, 18 AUGUST, 1939 The Faqir removed himself to Gorwekht, a A post was built at 'Lwargi and occupied by remote valley, which is within a short distance Tochi Scouts on the I4th June, and the two of the Afghan frontier and there continued to brigades, then, withdrew to Razmak and exhort and encourage his followers to commit Razani. The Barzai area where the remnants offences against Government. As a result of the " lashkar " had been located was pro- during February and March minor outrages scribed for air action. were committeed over a large area, which in- On the 28th June, the Madda " jirga " cluded cutting of telephone wires, damage to (assembly of tribal Elders) was interviewed, roads and culverts and the sniping of troops and although it was not fully representative, and posts. A new feature of hostile gang oaths were taken by those present that the activity was the planting of bombs of tribal Faqir was no longer harbouring in their manufacture on roads, parade grounds and country, and that if he returned they would tracks. There were also several raids into the do their best to drive him out or settle with Bannu Civil District accompanied by looting of him, failing which they would ask for Govern- property and cases of kidnapping. ment's assistance to help them. The air 4.. South .—In April, at the insti- blockade was therefore raised, the tribe being gation of the Faqir, Mullah Sher Ali, a warned that air action would be reimposed if notorious irreconcilable, collected a they broke their agreement with Government. gang of about 150 in the Dargai Sar Area, to the west of Jandola. This gang was 7. The Shami Pir.—At the beginning of June dispersed on the I4th April, after a hard-fought information was received indicating that two action, by a force of South Waziristan Scouts religious leaders or "flPir s " were conspiring to supported by aircraft. Both the enemy and unite the Mahsuds, Wazirs, and the the Scouts suffered casualties, one British Ghilzais (Afghan subjects), with a view to Officer being killed. hostile action against the Afghan Government. Air action, after due warning, was taken Steps were immediately taken to remove one against the villages which had harboured Sher of the suspected men from Waziristan. The Ali and his followers, and a large part of the other, known as the " Shami Pir," who was Bahlolzai Mahsud country, consisting of the a foreigner from Damascus, having previously Upper Baddar, Maintoi and Splitoi Valleys, shown no indication of his plans and having from which members of the gang had been denied that he was engaged in any activities recruited, was also proscribed. By the i8th hostile to the Afghan Government, revealed May the tribe had fully submitted and were them at a large meeting on the i3th June, when warned that air action would be reimposed if he persuaded many tribesmen to follow his any assistance or harbourage was given to Sher leadership into Afghanistan. Although he Ali in the future. failed to gain the support of many influential 5. On the 2ist April the Command of the tribesmen, nevertheless, on the 23rd June, Waziristan District devolved on Brigadier accompanied by a " lashkar " composed of F. H. Maynard, C.B., D.S.O., M.C., A.D.C. Mahsuds and Wazirs he began moving towards 6. Operations in North Waziristan.—In spite the Afghan frontier. of the punitive air action taken against the Warnings were at once issued to restrain the Madda Khel in March, this tribe still delayed Mahsuds and Wazirs from accompanying the compliance with Government terms, and after Shami Pir and continuous air patrols were due warning a large part of Madda Khel established to observe any move towards the country was placed under air blockade. frontier. The patrolling aircraft were fired on In the meantime the Faqir of Ipi had moved heavily on several occasions and were forced to Kharre, a mountainous locality in proximity to take retaliatory action. As a result of this to the Afghan border and lying to the east of and of political pressure, the " lashkar " began Madda Khel country. In this locality he to dwindle in strength as parties of dis- collected considerable quantities of supplies and heartened tribesmen returned to their villages. raised a " lashkar " of several hundred tribes- On the 26th June, the air patrol was discon- men with three guns of tribal manufacture. At tinued. On the 27th June, the Shami Pir was his instigation offences against Government interviewed, under safe conduct, and, seeing forces and posts increased in number and the that his cause was unlikely to succeed, agreed situation showed signs of deterioration. On to cease his activities. The remnant of his the 27th May, the Khassadar post on the deluded followers dispersed and the Shami Pir Lwargi Narai and on the 28th May, the Tochi was deported from the country. Scouts post at Datta Khel were attacked. 8. Further operations in North Waziristan.— By the 3ist May, three considerable bodies During June, the Faqir of Ipi remained in the of tribesmen were located:— Kharre area organizing further hostilities against 250 with two guns near Lwargi, Government. Early in July he again collected 400 with one gun at Tut Narai, and a considerable body of tribesmen, whose 600 near Drewasta. presence constituted a danger to communica- It was necessary to disperse these hostile tions and posts in the Upper Tochi Valley. It bodies and consequently the Razmak Column was, therefore, necessary to disperse this was moved to Razani, and the 3rd (Jhelum) gathering. Infantry Brigade to Dosalli. On the loth July, a force composed of the On the ist June, Datta Khel Post was again Razmak Column and the 3rd (Jhelum) Infantry attacked, and 20 shells were fired at it with- Brigade, under Brigadier F. H. Maynard, C.B., out causing any casualties. Operations began D.S.O., M.C., A.D.C., advanced via on the 2nd June with an advance from Razani Mamirogha to Degan in the Upper Tochi towards Mamirogha. Valley. Thence after being joined by a de- The enemy was engaged on subsequent days tachment of the Tochi Scouts, the force moved and as a result, by the 6th June, the strength to Wuzhgai, reaching the Kharre area on the of the " lashkars " had dwindled to some 200. i4th July, after passing through most difficult