The number of those killed in Busr's savage raids was...

The number of those killed in Busr's savage raids was estimated at thirty thousand. He even threw number into the fire and burnt them. An Arab poet describes these painful and savage events in his poem, a part of which we will quote for you: "As far as he could lead his army, He caused as much massacre and indecency as he could. "(177) Two opposite policies Do not shed the least blood in the land unjustly. Order of Imam 'Ali Do not spare the lives of even women and children.

Order of Mu'awiyah Mu'awiyah also sent other sabotage and plundering groups to the realm of Imam 'Ali the stories of which we have not narrated here. Those who are interested can refer to elaborate texts of history.(178) But his armies always avoided facing the soldiers of the Imam and fighting them. They only raided those parts, which were remote, or were weak in garrison and military equipment.

Whenever an army was sent from Kufah to face them, they fled, since they were only sabotage groups and bloodthirsty plunderers in the true sense of the word. Among the destructive groups which came into conflict with the army of the Imam, was an army sent by Mu'awiyah to Mesopotamia. The commander, who had been appointed by the Imam for those parts, asked Kumayl ibn Ziyad, the governor of the city of Hit, for reinforcement. Kumayl hastened to his aid with six hundred warriors.

They engaged in fighting, but the ash-Shamis as usual decided to flee leaving many of their dead behind. Kumayl ordered not to kill the wounded, and not to pursue the fugitives. In this conflict only two of Kumayl's soldiers were killed.

In another encounter, one of Imam 'Ali's commanders chased a group of Mu'awiyah's saboteurs and plunderers, but they fled, and he pursued them across the Euphrates and scattered his army in various parts of ash-Sham to engage in plunder, and advanced as far as ar-Riqqah, and left no horses, arms and quadrupeds for the supporters of 'Uthman.

Mu'awiyah sent a troop to confront him, but they were unable to catch him since he had returned safely to his headquarters at Nisibis.(179) This commander on his return to his own quarter, wrote a letter to the Imam and reported his activities. His report shows that he did not consider any of his acts to be unlawful, since he regarded them as a slight vengeance for the violent and inhuman deeds of Mu'awiyah's plundering troops. He may even have expected some big reward or word of encouragement.