On 16th August 1834, Dogra forced marched from
Kishtwar and entered the Gyalpo's territory by passing the
Suru river, where they met with an army of 5000
Botis under a commander named Mangal. They defeated the Botis with only six or seven casualties, while the enemies lost 40 men. The Dogra forces halted at
Suru for eight days, where local zamindars submitted to them in a group and
Zorawar Singh built a fort there.
Dogras next advanced to Shakhar, where they defeated the Thai Sultan of the fort and imposed a tax of four rupees on each house.
Zorawar Singh left 35 men to guard the fort and marched through Langkarchu and Manji to Paskyum, where the Dogras were again opposed by the Ladakis. After a minor conflict, the commander of Ladakis fled to the fort of Sod.
Mehta Basti Ram was sent to capture Sod with 500 men in which he succeeded. A whole month was wasted in negotiating with the local
zamindars while more than 6000 prisoners were captured by dogras in Sod and Paskyum. On hearing about the
Dogra advances,
Gyalpo sent Banka Kahlon, the prime minister of Ladakh, and four other chiefs: Gajapu, Dorje Namgyal, Chovang Nabdan, and Rahim Khan with 22,000 men at Mulbil. Banka Kahlon dispatched convoys, who reached the
Dogra camp and agreed to their terms, and asked the Dogras to send confidential agents along with them.
Mehta Basti Ram was being sent, but Gola and Nanda, along with 500 Dogra troops, were sent along the convoys which in turn was a trap laid by Banka Kahlon. Ratan Singh, a Dogra troop, escaped and reached the Dogra camp. ==Aftermath==