But he felt that it was too dangerous to attack the garrison at Petro-Aleksandrovsk in September, because Russian reinforcements could be quickly despatched by steamer from Charjou.

As autumn turned to winter, navigation on the Amu Darya became almost impossible and Junaid Khan launched his attack.

But they were surprised when two steamships from Charjou managed to get through the frozen river with reinforcements, breaking the siege after only eleven days.

The defeat of Junaid Khan near Petro-Alexandrovsk was of great political significance and strengthened the authority of Soviet power in the Amu Darya region.

In the spring of 1919, Bolshevik troops from Charjou defeated Turkmen forces on the left-bank of the Amu Darya in the Pitnak area.