§ 24. Lieut.-Commander KENWORTHYasked the Under-Secretary of State for War whether the British forces in Iraq have been in action during the present year in that country; if so, under what circumstances; and whether any casualties were sustained?
§ The SECRETARY of STATE for AIR (Lieut.-Colonel Sir Samuel Hoare)I have been asked to reply. One of the air expeditions mentioned in the answer which I gave to the hon. Member for Bow and Bromley on the 12th April, 1923, took place in January of this year. Since then operations have been undertaken for the purpose of re-occupying certain districts in which hostile elements had established themselves and were interfering with the administration of the country. The casualties were: officers, none; British other ranks, one killed, seven wounded; Indian other ranks, nine wounded.
§ Lieut.-Commander KENWORTHYDid these operations include tax collecting expeditions which we have been sending out lately?
§ Sir S. HOARENo, there have been no tax collecting operations. This information is for the most part restricted to operations undertaken in Kurdistan.