[7] In July 1888 the troops of General Antonio Baldissera began operations to extend Italian possessions in Eritrea, starting from the already acquired Massawa they targeted the plateau cities of Keren and Asmara.

[8] The task of capturing Debeb and dispersing his band was entrusted by Baldissera to captain Cornacchia, who headed a contingent of 400 "bashi-bazouk", 300 local irregulars and four Italian officers.

From there Debeb's superior forces ambushed the Cornish column; after killing the captain and other Italian officers, the contingent disbanded and retreated to Massawa, leaving about 200 casualties on the field.

"The first group of askari was formed in October 1888, after the débacle of the basci-buzuk at Saganeiti, seen almost as a second Dogali, where all the Italian officers died while the 800 irregulars fled, followed by Debeb's men who killed around three hundred of them.

In early 1888, indigenous troops were hailed by Italian command as fighters that could "run some tens of kilometers without water, food or rest, that they could subsist on only a ‘fistful’ of wheat per day, and that they were responsible for their own provisioning".