Simla, May 16.
Amba Alagi is now practically encircled by Indian, British, South African, Sudanese and Abyssinian troops and its fall can only be a matter of days, states cable received here from an official eye-witness with the Indian Army in Abyssinia, Indian veterans of Keren (Eritrea) have executed a brilliant night operation against the flank of the enemy, the eye-witness reports, Under cover of darkness, they succeeded in silently occupying a ridge in the enemy's rear without arousing suspicion. They pushed on unti they bumped against an enemy patrol and later contacted a strong force of Italians, In the fighting which followed. seven Italian officers and 100 other ranks were taken prisoner.
The Duke of Aosta and General Frusci, commanding the remainder of the Italian army in East Africa, who hurriedly escaped from Asmara (capital of Eritrea), are believed to have their headquarters on an 11,000- foot height at Amba Alagi. The height has been heavily plastered by artillery—Reuter,
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.