In Italian Somaliland, eight "Arab-Somali" infantry battalions, the "Ascari", and several irregular units of Italian officered "dubats" were established. These units served as frontier guards and police. There were also Somali artillery and zaptié ("carabinieri") units forming part of the Italian Royal Corps of Colonial Troops from 1889 to 1941. Between 1911 and 1912, over 1,000 Somalis from Mogadishu served as combat units along with Eritrean and Italian soldiers in the Italo-Turkish War. Most of the troops stationed never returned home until they were transferred back to Italian Somaliland in preparation for the invasion of Ethiopia in 1935.