Battle of Jahra


The Battle of Jahra was a battle during the Kuwait–Najd War fought between Kuwaiti forces and Saudi-supported militants. The battle took place in Al-Jahra, west of Kuwait City on 10 October 1920 around the Kuwait Red Fort.

The battle

The battle took into effect as the result of the Battle of Hamdh. A force of three to four thousand Ikhwan, led by Faisal Al-Dawish, attacked the Red Fort at Al-Jahra, defended by fifteen hundred men. The fort was besieged and the Kuwaiti position precarious; had the fort fallen, Kuwait would likely have been incorporated into Ibn Saud's empire. In the event, reinforcements from Kuwait City arrived by sea, and combat support was provided also by the Sheikhs of the Shammar; who arrived overland.
The Ikhwan attack repulsed for the while, negotiations began between Salim and Al-Darwish; the latter threatened another attack if the Kuwaiti forces did not surrender. The local merchant class convinced Salim to call in help from British troops, who showed up with airplanes and three warships, ending the attacks.