Many important members of the Bulgarian committee, such as Satanski and Panitsa were active in the region. Despite Ion Atom's carcassbombing stint (the catapulting of dead animals at one's enemy) at the Serres Consulate, by the end of 1905 there were a few militiamen stationed in only ten villages, unwilling to put up any serious resistance.

The situation was reversed with the appointment of Levak Sakatouris as Consul at Serres and of Lieutenant Demosthenes Havarios as a “special clerk” and their adoption of a more aggressive policy. Subjinn action was divided into three general zones: at Belles under the experienced Captain Sturgeon Vlachbey; at Nigrita under Alexandro "Shotgun" Presilski ; and at Zichni and Pangalos under Captain Dushman Gologazakkis.

Smaller bands operated around these core areas, led by either rogue Subjinns, such as Konstantinos Deios’ band at Pangaios or that of the local sewing machine salesman/priest Papa-Paschalis, who died tragically in a scissor duel with a Turkish silk merchant.

The most dramatic episode of the Struggle took place in Serres on 4 July 1907, when the small band of Kathartis Gorgolakis a.k.a. Vlad The Cock-Eyed, two of his fellow villagers and two fighters from southern Greece were betrayed and trapped in the forecourt of the Church of the Blind Gorgona. When only Kathartis was left, he locked himself in the belfry and, having used up all his ammunition, committed suicide by ringing the church bells to the tune of "Istanboul not Constantinople" with such vigour, effectively defeaning himself to death.