A large group of letters describes Urarṭian military movements, a type of information which was urgently and continuously needed in times of war. This information was obtained through scouts (daiālu), who were sent out to reconnoitre and spy, even as far as the Urarṭian capital, as one of the letters attests (see no. 85). The same activity was undertaken by the enemy, as is reported in a message about the capture of Urarṭian spies (no. 12). More generally, keeping the king constantly informed about what was going on in the Urarṭian kingdom was a service requested or required of many individuals, who wrote about the "news of the Urarṭians" (e.g., nos. 22, 113, 115, 144, 182), even from the western sector (no. 1). Particularly interesting is no. 113, written by the nāgir ēkalli Gabbu-ana-Aššur, in which he confirms to the king that his messengers are in constant communication with three other governors (Nabû-leʾi, Aššur-belu-daʾʾin und Aššur-reṣuwa), two of whom are mentioned as informers of the crown prince Sennacherib in one of his letters (SAA I 31).
The kind of information obtained through this channel essentially concerned war preparations and operations which were being made behind the lines by the Urarṭians. So we hear of the departure of the Urarṭian army at the command of the king and his turtānu (no. 86); of the concentration of five Urarṭian governors with their troops in the city of Waisi (no. 87), or of the assembling of troops by the king and his entourage (no. 114); of military movements near the country of Andia (no. 177); or of the movements of the Urarṭian king and his commander-in-chief (no. 112).
Quite probably, information about the military activities of Assyria 's allies was largely obtained through direct communication. Very interesting in this connection are two texts dealing with attacks of a Mannean king, in all probability Ullusunu, on Urarṭian territory. In no. 84, Aššur-reṣuwa forwards the information that "the Mannean (king) has attacked the Urarṭian cities in the district along the lake shore";[[11]] another fragmentary text refers to a Mannean attack against Urarṭian forts, which called for the swift intervention of the Urarṭian turtānu (no. 131).
These texts show clearly that the war between Assyria and Urarṭu deeply involved local rulers, who were able (and perhaps forced) to fight against imperial territories, in a turbulent scene of shifting alliances. This pattern is also evident in the letter of Bel-iddina to Sargon about the preparations of Rusa, mentioned above, in which we see the king of Hubuskia marching together with the Urarṭian king. The king of Hubuškia apparently was forced to change sides at least twice: he paid tribute to Sargon, who visited his city, in 715;[[12]] he then co-operated with Rusa before the battle on the Wauš, and finally went to pay tribute to Sargon at the end of that same campaign.[[13]]
Direct and certain information about battles between Assyrians and Urarṭians is unfortunately almost totally lacking. Perhaps the small fragment no. 273, which contains news about a storm and an attack of Assyrian soldiers coming out of fortresses, refers to such a battle. A surrender of Urarṭian soldiers is perhaps described in no. 184, where an Assyrian official proclaims: "You are subjects of the king, my lord: you are no longer subjects of the U[rartian]!"
11 Salvini Zagros p. 21, was the first to show that the meaning of the verb zaqāpu in this text (II, 4-7) means "to attack," and not "to revolt," as previously believed (cf. Deller Zagros p. 117).
12 Lie Sar. p. 18:104.
13 Lie Sar. p. 26:147 f.
Giovanni B. Lanfranchi
Giovanni B. Lanfranchi, 'Reports on Military Activities', The Correspondence of Sargon II, Part II: Letters from the Northern and Northeastern Provinces, SAA 5. Original publication: Helsinki, Helsinki University Press, 1990; online contents: SAAo/SAA05 Project, a sub-project of MOCCI, 2020 [http://oracc.org/saao/saa05/warwithurartu/reportsonmilitaryactivities/]