The Epirus sector was of a secondary importance to the Greek High Command, which was focused on the operations of the "Army of Thessaly" under Crown prince Constantine towards Macedonia and Thessaloniki. The initial Greek forces in the area consisted of barely 8,000 men of the 15th Infantry Regiment and five independent battalions, supported by 24 field guns, under Lieutenant General Konstantinos Sapountzakis. The Ottoman commander, Esat Pasha, had at his disposal the Yanya Corps, comprising the under-strength 23rd Regular Division and the 23rd Reserve Division, formed upon mobilization.