To counter this defense, Townshend equipped his troops with bellums (a type of small canoe used by Tigris natives, seating 5-10 men) and divided them into four groups distinguished by colored flags, with the intention of assaulting Ottoman positions on both the west and east sides of the river simultaneously.

At 5:30 the British gunboats and artillery began a bombardment of the front line, which the Ottomans responded to 20 minutes later with inaccurate fire against Townshend's headquarters aboard the sloop HMS Espiegle.

At the same time, the 22nd Punjabis on the east bank assaulted the Ottoman line, capturing the fortified positions there and using them to support the western advance with machine gun and rifle fire.

Led by the armed launch Shaitan, the British flotilla caught up with the fleeing Ottoman ships at 6:00 PM and opened fire, stranding the gunboat Marmaris and several small boats and barges loaded with troops and supplies near Ezra's Tomb.

Half a mile north of the town around 300 Ottoman troops emerged from the forested banks of the river and surrendered to Shaitan's nine-man crew, who collected their arms and escorted them back to Amara.