'Report on the operations carried out in the southern desert in connection with the Iraq-Najd borders, June 1928-May 1929.' [‎12] (14/32)

12
lasted about 30 minutes, and the raiders were left hurrying
towards the border in confusion.
Owing to the strong wind it was too late for the aircraft to
return to the attack after refuelling and re-arming. The
armoured cars were unable to get in touch with the raiders
owing to the very soft nature of the ground. The flight at
Busaiyah could not be ordered away to attack in view of the
threat to its own front. The raiders were fortunate, therefore,
in escaping across the frontier without further losses. The
Bam Malik losses were reported to be 27 men killed and
6,386 sheep, 670 donkeys, and 9 horses looted. The destitute
victims were repatriated to Zubair via Basra by ship, the
remnants of the tribal flocks being escorted back by 'Iraq
police by road.
41. After this raid there were no further incidents involving
the use of military forces, although police cars had several
brushes with small parties of Mutair who were endeavouring
to buy supplies in Kuwait.
42. On the 8th, some 40 Mutair horsemen tried to come to
close quarters with a police car patrol near A1 Riqai. The
cars manoeuvred round this party to see if they were the
advanced guard of a raiding party. While doing so the horse
men were reinforced from the direction of their camp some
8 miles to the southward in Najd territory. The police
thereupon opened fire with their Lewis guns, killing three men
and wounding several more. The police then retired north
ward, followed for some distance by the horsemen, who,
however, took care to keep well in the wake.
43. On 9th and 10th March the 'Iraq tribes in Kuwait
moved further south to get better grazing, and the car section
and Administrative Inspector's camp remained about 5 miles
north of Jahrah till the end of the month.
44. During this period, increased activity on the part of
Mutair sections encamped south of Kuwait, the arrival of
Ibn Sa ud at Buraidah, and news of Ibn Jiluwi's projected
advance against the 'Ajman in the Hasa district indicated that,
though affairs on the 'Iraq frontier had lapsed into temporary
quiesence, serious internal disorders were liable to take place
in Najd, which might have a reactionary effect on the 'Iraq
side of the frontier.
45. An agreement was known to exist between Faisal ad
Dawish (Mutair) and Sultan ibn Humaid ('Ataibah) for mutual
support against Ibn Sa'ud, and advances had also been made
with a view to forming a triple alliance with the renegade
Ajman in Northern Hasa under Dhaidan ibn Hithlain.