Mercenary I am the king

Chapter 1124 Brutal Street Fighting
Soon, amidst the noisy radio waves, Song Heping's clear and steady Arabic voice rang out, reaching the ears of every Syrian government soldier who was holding out in the ruins of Haibab.

“To all my brothers in the garrison of Haibab, I am the new military advisor. You may call me Song Heping.”

The gunfire at the front was still intense, but the background noise in many radio headsets seemed to have quieted down a bit, as the soldiers listened intently.

“I know you have sacrificed many comrades. The rebel tanks have cost you dearly. Now, I demand that you abandon your positions outside the city, retreat, and move back into the city.”

There were some subtle commotions and puzzled noises coming from the channel.

"I know this order confuses you, even frightens you. Retreating means being surrounded, losing your last escape route, and having no choice but to fight to the death! But, brothers, think about it, what are we fighting for?"

Song Heping's voice rose eight octaves, filled with power: "It's not for some big shot in Moscow or the palace in Damascus! It's for the homes behind you! It's for your parents, wives, children, brothers, and sisters in Damascus! Once Haibab falls, Damascus will be next! Think of the horrors in the 'Victory Front' and '1515' occupied territories! Think of how they will treat your families! Will they be driven and enslaved like livestock, or executed like garbage?"

His words struck a heavy blow to the hearts of every soldier.

Many soldiers who were firing or bandaging their wounds slowed down, their eyes revealing a deeper fear and resolve.

"Retreating is not a rout! It's a way to fight more effectively! Let the enemy tanks into the city! Let their steel behemoths become blind and crippled in the narrow streets! Use your rifles, machine guns, and rocket launchers to beat them down from the windows, from the basements, and from the tops of the ruins! This will be their graveyard! You are all veterans; you should know that fighting tanks head-on on the outskirts of the city is tantamount to using your weaknesses to fight the enemy's strengths. In the end, you still cannot avoid defeat."

"But if we let them into the city center and fight them in the streets, then we still have a chance of winning! Besides, as long as you can hold out in the city for a day and a night, I promise you! I promise you, with my life, because I will stay in the city with you. If the city falls, I will give my life too! Please believe me!"

"The choice is in your hands."

Song Heping's voice gradually lowered, yet became even more penetrating.

"Is it better to take a step back, use the city to protect yourself, kill the enemy more effectively, and protect your family? Or stay where you are, be crushed by enemy tanks, and let your family face their fate?"

A long silence fell over the radio channel, broken only by the hissing of electricity and the faint sound of an explosion in the distance.

Suddenly, a hoarse voice came from a front-line channel: "For my daughter! I'll fight them to the death! Obey orders and retreat into the city!"

Then, a second, a third… countless voices rose from different channels, converging into a torrent of desperation:

"We swear to defend Haibaib to the death!"

"For home!"

"Let that son of a bitch in here and beat him up!"

"I will obey General Song's command!"

The sounds were somewhat chaotic, and the accents varied, but the determination to fight to the death was clearly transmitted back to the underground command post through the radio waves.

Lieutenant General Jamal's eyes reddened. He straightened up abruptly and roared into the microphone, "All troops, listen up! Execute the retreat order! Provide alternating cover and retreat to the pre-established positions in the city! Let the enemy taste the power of street fighting!"

"I'll be with you, brother!"

The cook took a deep breath, patted Song Heping on the shoulder, said nothing, but his eyes said it all.

Orders were issued quickly.

The government troops, who were struggling to hold out on the front lines, began to retreat into the city in an orderly and phased manner.

They used the ruins and pre-placed booby traps and obstacles to slow down the pursuers, gradually retreating into the more complex urban environment in the city center, which was more suitable for infantry combat.

This change was quickly noticed by the frontline commanders of the rebel group, the "Victory Front."

They discovered that the government forces' resistance appeared to be weakening and that they were retreating.

The news was quickly relayed back to the Southern Front Command of the "Victory Front".

After listening to the frontline report brought by his subordinates, Chief Abu Omar wore a smug smile.

He turned to a few close associates and foreign military advisors around him.

"Look! They can't hold on! The Alamuk Brigade's flag is retreating! They're on the verge of collapse!"

One of his trusted men cautiously said, “Boss, be careful, it might be a trap. Although the government forces have suffered heavy losses, their sudden and orderly retreat might be a ploy to lure us into urban warfare.”

"Urban warfare?" Abu Omar scoffed. "Even if we get into the city, do you think our tanks and armored vehicles are afraid of their rifles and rocket launchers? Before absolute power, any trickery is futile!"

As if to confirm his words, the satellite phone on the table rang.

The caller ID shows the caller ID is from Turkey.

Abu Omar answered the phone respectfully, and after a moment, his smile became even brighter, even bordering on fanaticism.

After hanging up the phone, he excitedly announced to everyone in the command center: "Allah is the greatest! The intelligence agencies of our great ally have just confirmed that those cowards in Moscow dare not directly intervene in the battle in the north! Those guys from HTS are about to take Idlib! 1515 is also making great strides in the east! Friends! This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity! Whoever enters Damascus first will dominate this land in the future!"

The advisor beside him smiled and nodded: "We must go all out, at all costs, to take Haibab before the other alliances and march straight for Damascus! All aid, including more tanks, ammunition, and reinforcements, has arrived in Otaba and will be given priority to you first thing tomorrow morning!"

The last remaining doubts were dispelled.

Abu Omar drew his ornate pistol from his waist, pointed it in the direction of Khaybaib, and roared: "Order! All troops, advance! Tanks lead the way! Infantry follow closely behind! Allahu Akbar! Tonight, we will celebrate victory in Khaybaib! Tomorrow, our flag will be raised over the presidential palace in Damascus!"

Woo——!
Behind the rebel positions, a piercing and fanatical bugle call rang out.

The rebel forces, who had been cautiously advancing, suddenly roared and launched a full-scale offensive, as if they had been given a shot of adrenaline!

Dozens of tanks—T-72s, T-55s, and even some old T-62s—roared with their engines spewing thick black diesel exhaust, their tracks crushing the ruins of the suburbs and the abandoned positions of the government forces, forming an assault formation and leading the charge toward the city of Haibaib.

Behind the tanks came a tidal wave of rebel infantry, riding in all sorts of armed pickup trucks, with heavy machine guns, anti-aircraft machine guns, and even recoilless rifles mounted in the cargo beds, howling as they followed.

Further away, the rebels' mortar and howitzer positions began an unprecedentedly fierce bombardment, with shells raining down on the city of Haibab, especially along the government forces' retreat routes and potential assembly areas, in an attempt to completely crush and annihilate the retreating government forces in the field.

The explosion's flames instantly illuminated the night sky over Haibab, and the entire city seemed to tremble amidst the gunfire.

Inside the underground command post in the city, the vibrations from the ceiling were even more pronounced, and dust began to fall.

"Report! Enemy forces have launched a general offensive! Tank groups are launching a frontal assault on the junction of the eastern and southern districts!"

"The shelling was extremely intense! The retreating D Company was completely overwhelmed and suffered heavy casualties!"

"The rebel infantry followed closely behind the tanks, and their numbers were enormous!"

One bad news after another came through the communication channel.

Lieutenant General Jamal, veins bulging on his forehead, roared hoarsely into the microphone: "Hold on! Retreat according to plan! Snipers and anti-tank teams, prioritize taking out the pickup trucks and infantry behind the tanks! Don't linger! Retreat into the buildings!"

Song Heping stared intently at the sand table and the thermal images transmitted by the Russian Il-20 reconnaissance aircraft, and calmly issued the order: "Order the artillery battalion in the north of the city to spare no ammunition and conduct intercepting fire on the rear of the enemy tank formations to disrupt their infantry advance. The retreating troops should not panic; send out engineering detachments to pre-position minefields on the roads leading into the city, and detonate them as soon as they enter!"

The cook then contacted Wagner's forward observation team directly through his own channel: "Listen, lads! Use your precision firepower to take care of those guys who look like officers or overseers! Take out their command nodes!"

The command was executed swiftly.

boom!
boom!
boom!
On the last remaining artillery battalion position north of Haibab, several D-30 122mm howitzers roared, shells piercing the night sky and landing a hundred meters behind the rebel tank formation, exploding into clouds of mud and fire. Several armed pickup trucks that were charging too fast were instantly overturned or blown to pieces, and the momentum of the rebel infantry's advance was halted.

Meanwhile, improvised explosive devices (IEDs) and anti-tank mines that had been planted in advance on the main roads leading into the city were detonated remotely.

A T-72 tank at the forefront had its tracks blown off, leaving it paralyzed and a piece of scrap metal, temporarily blocking the road.

Another T-55 triggered a large IED, the massive explosion blowing its turret off its surface. The rebel offensive was slightly hampered, but their fanaticism and numerical superiority quickly made up for the losses.

Subsequent tanks rammed into the disabled armored vehicles or went around them, running over gardens, crashing through walls and fences, and continuing their frenzied charge into the city.

The rebel infantry spread out, using craters and ruins to advance, while simultaneously firing their rifles, machine guns, and RPGs at any suspicious windows in an attempt to suppress the defenders.

The first wave of rebel tanks and infantry finally stormed into the streets east of Haibab!

However, the real hell has only just begun.

A T-72 tank violently crashed through a half-collapsed wall and onto a narrow street.

The turret slowly rotated, and the 125mm main gun aimed at a suspected firing point in front of it—a second-floor window of a three-story building—and opened fire!
boom!
The entire building seemed to tremble, huge flames and smoke spewed from the windows, and rubble and bricks fell like raindrops.

However, in the brief moment after the tank fired, a dark figure suddenly emerged from the fourth floor of a nearby ruined building!

"RPG!"

The tank commander's terrified shouts could be faintly heard through the hatch!

But it's too late.

whoosh-

boom!
An R-7PG rocket, trailing a plume of flame, accurately struck the engine compartment at the rear side of the T-72 tank!

penetrate!
explosion!

A muffled explosion came from inside the tank. Flames and thick smoke instantly spewed out from all the gaps. Then the ammunition inside the vehicle was detonated, and the turret was blown into the air with a loud bang before crashing heavily to the ground.

Before the government soldiers who fired the rockets could escape, they were riddled with bullets from the rebel infantry below.

Similar scenes are playing out on countless streets.

Government soldiers used their familiarity with the terrain to launch attacks from unexpected angles.

The rudimentary RPG-7, the outdated "Competition" anti-tank missile, and even cluster grenades all became powerful tools for harvesting tanks and armored vehicles.

Wagner's snipers focused on hunting down enemy officers, machine gunners, and rocket launcher operators.

Machine gun fire blocked the streets, cutting off the connection between tanks and infantry.

Every step the rebels took forward came at a heavy price.

Tanks struggle to utilize their mobility on narrow streets and often become easy targets.

The infantry were plunged into brutal urban warfare, where fierce close-quarters gun battles, grenade exchanges, and hand-to-hand combat could erupt in every house, every room, and even every pile of rubble.

However, the rebels still have a clear advantage in both manpower and firepower.

They disregarded casualties and pressed forward recklessly.

The tanks used direct fire to destroy the suspicious buildings one by one.

Mortar shells and grenades rained down on the defenders' positions. Heavy machine guns and anti-aircraft machine guns mounted on armed pickup trucks unleashed a deadly hail of bullets, suppressing the defenders and making it difficult for them to raise their heads.

The government forces' defenses continued to deform and retreat under pressure, but never collapsed.

These soldiers lived up to their oath, using their lives and blood to buy time and wear down the enemy.

The atmosphere inside the underground command post was extremely tense.

The staff officers shouted themselves hoarse as they called out to the various units to understand the battle situation and relay orders.

The casualty figures are rising, and multiple positions have lost contact, indicating that the entire force has been wiped out.

Song Heping was like a man nailed to a sand table, constantly adjusting his deployment based on battle reports, filling the most dangerous gaps with his limited reserves.

His commands remained calm, but he spoke extremely quickly.

"The East District A Street has fallen. Send the anti-tank team from Sector B to flank the enemy's follow-up forces!"

"Send half of the reserve team from the South District to reinforce the area towards City Hall Square; the pressure there is too great!"

"Where are our tanks? Those two T-62s, don't expose them in open areas. Hide them behind the ruins and make them fixed firing positions. Fire one shot and move to another!"

The cook, on the other hand, focused more on tactical details and the Wagner Group's reports.

"Set up PKM machine guns on the second floor and block the intersection!"

"Use smoke grenades! Obscure the tanks' vision and let the anti-tank team get closer!"

"Report the coordinates of that mortar position! Try to call in artillery fire from the rear, even if only one or two mortars can respond!"

Time ticked away amidst the bloody battle.

Khaybaib has become a giant furnace, devouring the lives of soldiers on both sides. But the government forces' strategy of tightening their defenses and luring the enemy deeper into their territory is proving effective.

Although the rebels broke into the city, they were caught in a war of attrition that they least wanted to face, and their advance was far slower than Abu Omar had expected.

Similarly, the defending forces are under increasing pressure, with ammunition consumption reaching alarming levels and casualties nearing a critical point.

Song Heping glanced at the time, then at the interlocking positions of the enemy and his own forces on the sand table, and suddenly said to Lieutenant General Jamal, "General, it's time. Execute Operation 'Thunder'."

Lieutenant General Jamal paused for a moment, then nodded emphatically, a ruthless glint in his eyes: "Understood!"

The so-called "Thunder" plan was a counterattack strategy that Song Heping had conceived when he was contracting his defenses.

They concealed their only elite armored reserve—about five operational tanks, including two T-62s and three T-55s, as well as several BMP-1 infantry fighting vehicles and two companies of suicide squads—in advance in several fortified underground parking lots and bunkers in the city center.

Their mission is not to plug leaks when the defense line collapses, but to launch a surprise attack from the flanks or behind enemy lines when the enemy's offensive momentum is thwarted, their formation is most chaotic, and the infantry and tanks are most separated, piercing the enemy's waist like a sharp knife.

Then launch a desperate counterattack, aiming to destroy the enemy's offensive forces to the greatest extent possible in a short period of time, especially the valuable tanks in the enemy's camp, so as to completely thwart a major enemy offensive.

Now, the rebels' offensive front has been completely bogged down in urban street fighting. The vanguard tank units and the following infantry have become separated due to the defenders' tenacious resistance and the obstacles in the streets. Some tanks have even been separated from their infantry support – this is the perfect time to counterattack!
Orders were issued quickly.

The heavy isolation door at the hiding spot was pushed open.

The tank engine reignited, emitting a suppressed roar.

The elite infantrymen climbed onto the vehicle, their eyes resolute.

"For Celia! For Haibaib! Charge!"

With a command from the commander, this small torrent of steel, like a venomous snake hidden in the grass, suddenly sprang out and, along the pre-planned, relatively intact internal road, fiercely pierced the weak point of the rebel attacking force!
An even more devastating, yet decisive, armored clash erupted on the burning streets of Haibab...

　Asking for a monthly ticket! Asking for a monthly ticket!

　　
　
(End of this chapter)