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As a result of the reported murder of six European railway workers on July 9, 1909 by Riffi tribesmen,[1] the Spanish Melillan garrison was increased from 5,000 men to 22,000 in preparation for an offensive. Although the Spanish army was poorly trained and equipped and lacked basic maps, by January 1910 the Spanish had subdued some of the eastern tribes. The Spanish continued to push out their Melilla enclave to encompass the area from Cape Tres Forcas to the southern inlets of Mar Chica. However, this was achieved at the cost of 2,517 casualties. It should be noted that all the Spanish forces involved were conscripts; at this stage Spain had neither professional troops, nor indigenous troops under arms.
