Mercenary I am the king

Chapter 1213 Strategic Lying Down

On a high ground near Hurmatu, Ahmed, the observer at post 1515, lowered his binoculars, rubbed his eyes which were almost bulging out of their sockets, and stared incredulously into the distance.

"God...God above! They...they've retreated?!"

Just half an hour ago, Ahmed's heart was in his throat.

Dagug fell, Ozam was attacked by government forces, and Russian forces, Wagner mercenaries, and Hafez's government forces launched a fierce counterattack in the directions of Sirya Deir ez-Zor and Raqqa...

Just this morning, a series of terrible news reports came in.

As if overnight, all the forces of the countries hostile to the 1515 armed group united to launch an attack on the 1515 armed group within the two countries.

Just two hours earlier, Ahmed had been sent by his commander to this high ground, a dozen kilometers from Hurmatu, to monitor enemy activity.

He noticed a large number of militiamen in his line of sight and had already reported this to his superiors.

I originally thought we were about to face a fierce battle.

But I never expected this...

These terrible heretics...

He actually left on his own?

They've left!

They've really left!

The surging militia and mercenaries turned their vehicles around in just half an hour, kicking up clouds of dust, and finally disappeared into the north...

He quickly picked up the radio walkie-talkie and incoherently reported the situation.

The message was reported up the chain of command and eventually reached the ears of Basmu, the supreme commander of Hurmatu.

"you sure!?"

Basmu asked, excited yet slightly surprised, "Are you sure they didn't stop advancing, but retreated?!"

"OK, boss!"

Ahmed swore, "I swear on my family's honor! They've retreated! They've gone north!"

"It seems it really wasn't a trap."

Basmu's mouth split open uncontrollably, his eyes bulged out an inch, and his heart pounded like a drum.

His excitement caused his dopamine to surge uncontrollably.

God help me!

He almost shouted out to express his joy.

That's right, just as my deputy had predicted.

"It's infighting! The Americans have fallen out with them! These infidels will never learn to unite!"

He slammed his hand on the table, his voice hoarse but full of excitement.

"An opportunity! An opportunity given to us by God! Immediately unleash all the mobile reserves along the Hurmatu-Titrik line! Rush eastward to reinforce Ozam as fast as possible! Let those arrogant Americans taste the true power of our elite troops!"

He dared not, and never even considered, pursuing Song Heping's troops.

Even if that army were retreating, he didn't have the courage.

Previously, Song Heping had led 300 militiamen to fight against 3,000 armed men from the 1515 Army, inflicting nearly 1,000 casualties on the enemy.

This battle made Song Heping's reputation known to all the members of the 1515 armed forces.

They gave Song Heping a nickname—Iligo's Devil.

Pick the soft persimmons.

Basmu was confident that he could handle Song Heping, but he was also confident that he could deal with the Iligor government forces in the Ozam direction.

Ozam already had over 4,000 armed men, and he personally dispatched 2,000 elite troops with heavy weapons to provide support. The government army's lousy soldiers and officers probably wouldn't last a day before they had to retreat.

They could even take the opportunity to continue advancing eastward, expanding the territory of the "Levant Kingdom" by several hundred square kilometers!
More importantly, as a regional commander, Basmu is considered a high-ranking commander in 1515.

The retreat of "Devil" Song Heping not only meant the end of the crisis in Hurmatu, but also that a large number of 1515 troops, which had been tied down in the northwest, were revitalized. It was as if a condemned prisoner with a noose around his neck suddenly found that the noose snapped and the shackles binding his hands and feet came off...

This excitement is like the excitement of being reborn!

He immediately went to the radio and ordered the communications officer to connect to the channel of Bakdadi's command post: "Get me to Emil immediately, I want to personally report this wonderful news to him!"

……

Song Heping's abrupt retreat was like pulling the most crucial domino out of a chain reaction, causing the entire coalition front to shake violently!

The government forces in the Ozam direction were the first to suffer.

That evening, the government forces' forward positions in Ozam were attacked by the 1515 militants.

A tidal wave of extremists, armed pickup trucks mixed with suicide trucks and armored vehicles, attacked government defenses from different directions like hyenas smelling blood.

"You sons of bitches! Did they grow out of the ground?!"

Saif, commander of the Iligor government's 9th Armored Division and overall commander of the attack on the Ozam direction in Operation "The Furnace," was hiding in his office, frantically roaring into the radio, "Tell the Americans! I need air support! More air support! Now! Immediately! Right now!"

Just eight hours after Song Heping's retreat, the Iligor government forces on the Ozam front experienced what it meant to face an "infernal" level of difficulty.

The 1515 defense line, which had already been shattered by their heavy artillery and air support, suddenly seemed to have been injected with a powerful stimulant.

The resistance became extremely fierce, and...

Their tactical level has clearly improved by more than one level!
Even more frightening is that the other side has even begun to launch counterattacks at the platoon level!
A group of militants, dressed in black combat uniforms and possessing swift movements and accurate marksmanship, appeared out of nowhere and launched repeated short attacks on the flanks of government forces and their supply convoys, taking advantage of the complex terrain of the town's ruins. They were well-equipped, coordinated effectively, and even successfully approached government positions on several occasions, triggering fierce close-quarters firefights.

The communication channels were filled with shouts from various units requesting support, calling for artillery fire, and reporting casualties, almost bursting the channels.

Not only the government forces, but also the Kold'd forces, who were originally responsible for flanking attacks and providing support in the northwest of Erbil, are having an even harder time.

"Ammunition! Does anyone have any rifle bullets?!"

Veteran Ma Mu leaned against his company's makeshift trench and shouted behind him.

His response was a few scattered sounds, followed by the deafening explosions of mortars in the distance.

It seems that 1515 vented most of the anger they had "saved" from Song Heping on this "easy target".

The intensity of the offensive has increased several times over! What was originally a harassing attack has turned into a wave-like charge at the battalion and company levels.

Lacking heavy weapons, their old-fashioned AKs and PKM machine guns proved utterly ineffective against the enemy's sudden influx of mortars, recoilless rifles, and even homemade rocket launchers.

Multiple forward observation posts and positions fell under wave after wave of fierce attacks, and the communications kept reporting the devastating news that friendly positions had been breached.

The original offensive plan was completely ruined, and the Kold's forces, which were advancing south, were caught in a pincer movement and had no way to extricate themselves from the situation.

The 1515 militants set up an ambush every few kilometers along their retreat route.

The Kolds have deployed 10,000 troops, who are now crammed along a ten-kilometer front like a clumsy snake struggling to defend itself, and have been forced to engage in a desperate positional defensive battle.

Every minute, someone falls, and every inch of land is soaked in blood.

Operation "The Crucible" is now in dire straits, and it can be said that the entire operation is not far from failure.

Even the Russian armed groups advancing in Deir ez-Zor and Raqqa in Seria sensed the change.

"Ivan, have you noticed? These bandits seem to be super excited today, like they've been injected with chicken blood, and there seem to be quite a few more of them."

A Wagner veteran shouted at his squad leader, "Are these guys on drugs? They're acting completely different from yesterday!"

Reports from frontline commanders were gradually being compiled and sent to the Russian military command. The 1515 militants on the front lines appeared to have been reinforced in terms of manpower and firepower. Not only was their will to resist stronger, but their combat skills and coordination capabilities had also been significantly improved. There were signs of more experienced and better-equipped small groups of troops operating.

Intelligence analysis suggests that these reinforcements likely come from northwestern Iligo, where the pressure has eased considerably.

Song Heping's "playing dumb" move hit the very core of the entire coalition system, causing everyone to wince in pain.

While the other armed groups were in a state of chaos and disarray, Song Heping was the most relaxed person in the entire war zone.

"Old squad leader, Bakda has sent another 'friendly greeting,' asking when we can 'get back into shape' and rejoin the attack."

In Daguge City, Jiang Feng walked up to Song Heping with a telegram in his hand, and waved the telegram in his hand with a mocking tone.

Song Heping was comfortably lying on a deck chair in the backyard of the Daguge Command Post, wearing sunglasses and enjoying a rare sunbath.

On the small table next to it, there was a half-cup of chilled juice.

"Reply to them: Our army has suffered heavy losses and morale is low, requiring psychological counseling. The enemy situation in Hurmatu is unclear, its defense system is impregnable, and it is suspected of possessing weapons of mass destruction. Until your side achieves a decisive breakthrough at Ozam and shares all key intelligence, our troops are not ready to launch an attack to avoid unnecessary sacrifices."

He took a sip of his juice and slowly added, "Be polite in your tone, but be firm in your words."

"Understood!" Jiang Feng smiled knowingly.

Song Heping has the confidence and the means to put on airs.

After years of fighting and management, his "Musician" defense mercenary group is no longer just a simple mercenary force.

They firmly controlled the strategic city of Sulaymaniyah, occupied the transportation hub of Dagug to the south, and built a stable territory of more than 2,000 square kilometers in the north and northeast of Ilig, along the Persian border!

They have their own system, a tribal populace that supports them, a supply line of arms from Persia, and a network of fortifications.

To put it bluntly, Song Heping is now a warlord, and a large one at that, with a strong army and a stable territory!

Even if he completely breaks ties with the United States now, he still has enough resources to establish himself, develop, and even...

They're waiting for someone to offer them a higher price to woo him!
This is the source of my confidence.

After the troops withdrew to the Daguge defense zone, Song Heping gave a death order: "Build fortifications like your lives depend on it!"
Anti-tank ditches must be able to stop the latest armor-piercing rounds, machine gun bunkers must be built as permanent fortifications, and camouflage nets must be stretched to the maximum!

Meanwhile, logistics were readily available, with soldiers eating and drinking as they pleased, the wounded receiving the best possible treatment, and soldiers taking turns on leave. The entire unit entered a state of "vacation-style" combat readiness that was outwardly relaxed but inwardly tense.

Upon returning to the command post, which had been transformed into a fortress, the first thing he did was go to sleep.

"Listen, Jiang Feng."

He took off his gunpowder-smelling jacket and threw it directly onto the chair.

"Next, no matter what method the Americans use—telephone, radio, or even sending a three-star general—all orders, urgings, and questions must be kept out! I need to catch up on my sleep! Don't wake me up even if the sky falls, unless the 1515 tanks drive right up to my command post!"

After saying that, he lay down on the cot fully clothed, pulled the slightly musty-smelling blanket over his head, and within ten seconds, even snoring began to fill the air.

He was truly exhausted. The continuous high-intensity command and the infighting with various forces had taken a toll on his mental and physical energy far beyond what ordinary people could imagine.

But this deep sleep at this moment is also a gesture, a declaration of war with disdain!

The night outside the command post was as dark as ink.

Inside the command center, the encrypted radio, directly connected to the headquarters of the Bakdad coalition, stubbornly flashed its red indicator light over and over again.

Jiang Feng moved a chair and sat directly in front of the communications station, his back ramrod straight, like a door god.

He turned away every call with a cold and impeccable reason: "The commander is overworked and is under mandatory rest, so he cannot answer."

He knew that Song Heping's sleep wasn't about fatigue, but about strategy, confidence, and a resounding slap in the face to all the behind-the-scenes players!

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(End of this chapter)