The Tirah Campaign was a British expedition against the Afridis and Orakzais in 1897 and 1898. British posts in the Kyber Pass garrisoned by Afridi militia having been overwhelmed by Afridi insurgents, a force of 35000 men under Sir William Lockhart was sent to operate in the Tirah and Mastura Valleys.
The operations based on Kohat, began by the capture of the Dargai heights on October the 20th 1897, followed by the storming of the Sempagha Pass leading out of it into the Matura Valley, on October the 29th, and of the Arhanga Pass leading out of it into the Tirah country on October the 31st. The latter region was then scoured by brigades, many walled villages being destroyed, in spite of the resistance of the Afridis, who on several occasions inflicted considerable losses on the British columns. Saran Sar was captured by Gaselee's brigade on November the 11th, and the Waran and Raigul valleys were cleared Kempster's and Westmacott's brigades respectively. The force returned to India by two routes, and, a junction having been affected near Peshawar, the Khyber forts were retaken. The Afridis then sued for peace, terms were imposed, and the expeditionary force was dispersed in April 1898. Research Tirah Campaign
Abbreviations
Warfare
Research Tirah Campaign