腹背受敌

腹背受敌 [fù bèi shòu dí]

1. ■ have enemies in front and rear; be attacked both from behind and in front; be attacked by the enemy both front and back; be attacked from all sides; be attacked [beset] front and rear; be attacked from two sides; be attacked in the front and harassed in the rear; be caught between two fires; be exposed to attacks from the front and the rear; be hemmed in and attacked on both sides; be in cleft stick; be surrounded by the enemy at the front and the rear; between (the) hammer and (the) anvil; between the devil and the deep [blue] sea:

那次战役太平军因腹背受敌， 伤亡惨重。 That battle took a heavy toll of the Taiping troops for they were attacked front and rear.