21 giug 1936 anni - Battle of Anabta

Descrizione:

On June 21, 1936, a significant battle erupted near Anabta in Mandatory Palestine, marking one of the most intense conflicts of the 1936–39 Arab revolt. This encounter involved Arab militants ambushing a convoy of civilian buses escorted by British soldiers. The engagement resulted in the deaths of two British soldiers and approximately 10 or 11 Arab fighters. The Arab militants, estimated to number between 60 and 70 and led by Ibrahim Nassar, had strategically placed a barricade of stones to halt the convoy and opened fire from concealed positions.

The battle began around 11 a.m. and lasted until nightfall, escalating to a pitched battle that necessitated reinforcements from nearby Tulkarm. The British forces, including three battalions and aerial support, faced significant resistance. Arab fire managed to hit three British aircraft, although all landed safely back at Tulkarm airport. The intervention of British aircraft was pivotal, helping to disperse the Arab fighters by machine gun fire from the air, which eventually allowed ground troops to encircle and rout the militants.

This engagement at Anabta was described by contemporary reports as the heaviest fighting of the revolt up to that point. The following day, in retaliation, British forces conducted a raid on a cave where the militants had dragged the body of Sergeant Henry Sills, capturing two insurgents and destroying the cave with dynamite.

The battle had a profound impact on the ongoing Arab revolt, illustrating the severity of the conflict and the militants' ability to challenge British military forces effectively. It also highlighted the strategic use of ambush tactics by the Arab insurgents, which posed significant challenges to the British forces in identifying and countering the dispersed fighters among the civilian population.

In response to the battle and the ongoing revolt, the Arab Higher Committee called on their followers to persist with the general strike that had been ongoing for several months, urging reliance on "Almighty God and yourselves" in defiance of the military authorities. This battle underscored the intensifying conflict in the region, necessitating a reevaluation of British military strategies in the face of a determined and resourceful insurgency.

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