Middle Eastern tyrants

Chapter 193 Brings Liberation to Damascus (Part 5)

Tabashi, the headquarters of the 38th Division in Zion.

"Yes, I understand."

Major General Ger hung up the encrypted phone call with the Tel Aviv headquarters, his face grave.

The adjutant strode forward, asking expectantly, "General, is this a new order from headquarters?"

Major General Ger sighed, walked to the map, and said, "That's right. His Excellency the Prime Minister personally ordered us to launch an attack on Quneitra from Tabashi to relieve the pressure on our allies in the Damascus direction."

Upon hearing this, the adjutant revealed a hint of optimism: "This is a good thing, General! It shows that the highest command has not abandoned our brothers in Damascus; they are still trying to turn the tide of the war!"

"Perhaps." Major General Ger's brow furrowed even more.

Not to mention that they were outnumbered, they were also at a significant disadvantage in terms of terrain, and Amir, who was commanding the Arabs, would not give them any opportunity to take advantage of the situation.

Major General Ger looked at the steep contour lines on the map and thought to himself:
"Hopefully, our sacrifice will at least deplete some of the Arabs' precious ammunition."

Sigrún has taught at the Iceland University of the Arts as a part-time lecturer since and was Dean of the Department of Fine Art from -. In – she held a research position at Reykjavík Art Museum focusing on the role of women in Icelandic art. She studied fine art at the Icelandic College of Arts and Crafts and at Pratt Institute, New York, and holds BA and MA degrees in art history and philosophy from the University of Iceland. Sigrún lives and works in Iceland.

"General, our artillery shells are running low!"

Colonel Baksh held a logistics report and loudly reported to Lu Lin.

The ongoing war has nearly depleted the Allied ammunition reserves. Other Arab countries have weak industries and rely entirely on pre-war ammunition reserves, which were almost exhausted during the previous high-intensity fighting.

Although the Twins were being continuously supplied by the United States, the turmoil following the assassination of the king severely impacted logistical efficiency. Coupled with successive major battles, the capture of Quneitra and the Golan Heights, and the current siege of Damascus, the rate of ammunition consumption far exceeded the rate of replenishment.

As luck would have it, the communications officer delivered news that the 38th Armored Division of Zion was advancing towards Quneitra from Tabashi.

"I see."

Lu Lin was not surprised by this, and then issued a series of orders: "Have the artillery deployed facing Galilee conduct 'segmented' blocking fire on the enemy's route of advance. The armored forces should conceal themselves in the pre-set high ground positions, use the height advantage to expand the field of fire, and launch a short attack after the enemy tanks enter the effective firing range."

Lower the muzzles of some of the small-caliber anti-aircraft guns used for air defense to block Zion's infantry and light armored vehicles.

Each anti-tank team used the reverse slopes and rocks for cover, prioritizing the elimination of the enemy's vanguard.

Upon hearing Lu Lin's well-prepared deployment strategy, officers from various countries and UN Special Envoy Elanderson in the command center secretly breathed a sigh of relief, and the tense atmosphere eased considerably.

"However, ammunition shortages remain a problem."

Just as Lu Lin was pondering, Major Fahd rushed in to report: "Lieutenant General, Lieutenant Colonel Sultan bin Mohammed has arrived!"

"Lieutenant Colonel Sultan?" Lu Lin didn't react for a moment.

A figure rushed in like a whirlwind, opening his arms to embrace him.

"younger brother!"

Lu Lin looked closely and realized that the dark-skinned man in tattered military uniform, who looked like a savage, was actually his own brother, Sultan.

"elder brother?"

When Sultan saw his brother, he was overwhelmed with emotion, tears welling up in his eyes. He was about to recount the hardships he had endured along the way when he realized that the suffering he had endured was nothing compared to the trials his brother had faced on the front lines.

So he swallowed his words back.

Major Fatah, who was standing nearby, spoke for him: "Reporting, Commander! Lieutenant Colonel Sultan, leading a logistics convoy, has successfully opened a stable supply line from the mainland to Quneitra! We have brought a large quantity of ammunition, fuel, and medicine!"

Seeing his brother and Fatah looking travel-worn, Lu Lin understood the hardships they had endured on their journey. He nodded and said, "Good, that's great! With these supplies, we can rescue even more people in Damascus!"

He patted the two of them on the shoulder.

Sultan was alright, but Major Fatah was so excited that his face was flushed and his body was ramrod straight.

Re-establishing a stable logistical supply is a great achievement. Lu Lin originally intended to reward the two immediately, but thinking of the many soldiers still fighting on the front lines, he said, "I remember your contributions. After the battle ends, I will commend all the soldiers together. Continue with your mission!"

Sultan and Fatah immediately responded with a military salute, replying in unison, "Rest assured, Commander! We guarantee to complete the mission!"

— The Golan Heights, facing the Wazni Valley of the Galilee Plain.

Captain Majid peered out of the chieftain's turret and, through his binoculars, spotted the Zion tank column climbing the hillside below.

"Attention all personnel! Enemy tank column, 11 o'clock position, elevation -5!"

"Load armor-piercing rounds!"

As the gun barrel closed, the loader's voice came from below: "Armor-piercing shells loaded!"

"What kind of tank is that?" Captain Majid asked as he looked at the enormous vehicle being driven by the Zionians opposite him. Its flat, low profile and shuttle-shaped turret gave it a heavy, oppressive feel.

"What's wrong?" the loader asked.

"It's an unfamiliar model, neither Chieftain nor Centurion, but rather the new Zion tank mentioned in the intelligence."

"Never mind all that, just fire!" The gunner aimed the Merkava and said, "Give the order, Captain!"

Majid: "Fire!"

The first shell landed on the right side of the Merkava's tracks, blasting a large crater in the ground.

“Near miss, right deviation! Correct to the left by 0.5!” Majid’s voice was calm and swift.

But they didn't get a second chance. The heavy tank suddenly raised its cannon barrel the instant it came to a stop, and a burst of muzzle flash appeared!

boom!
The shell slammed into the reverse slope in front of the chieftain, sending mud and gravel raining down on the armor plating with a crackling sound. The periscope was instantly covered in mud, and a lot of sand fell into the fighting compartment from the hatch.

"Ptooey, ptooey, ptooey!" The loader spat out the dirt from his mouth.

Majid brushed the dust off his face and was surprised to find that the enemy's firepower was the same 120mm rifled cannon as the chief!
"This guy has incredible firepower!" the gunner exclaimed.

"Aim at it! Armor-piercing rounds!" Majid ordered.

"Armor-piercing rounds, good!"

"shooting!"

The chieftain's main gun roared again, and almost simultaneously, Zion's new tanks opened fire once more.

Two shells clashed in the air, the Merkava's shell hitting the chieftain's upper armor, leaving a horrific dent and burn mark.

The Chieftain's armor-piercing rounds accurately struck the Merkavana's unusually large front hull.

"Target hit!" the gunner shouted.

But what's puzzling is that the tank simply jerked to a halt and remained stationary. There was no explosion; only thick smoke billowed from the engine compartment, while its turret continued to slowly turn.

"Why does it seem like it's not working?"

The crew members looked at each other in bewilderment.

"Destruction effect not confirmed! Target has lost mobility, but weapon systems remain online!"

Majid immediately radioed his platoon, "Attention everyone! Concentrate fire on that stationary tank! Fire in sequence at the weak points on the front of the hull!"

Three brief confirmations came over the radio.

Three armor-piercing rounds followed in quick succession, striking the Merkava's hull with pinpoint accuracy.

The front of the Merkava finally exploded violently, spewing out flames and debris.

However, to Majid's utter astonishment, the rear hatch of the Merkava was suddenly kicked open, and five or six Zion tank crewmen, though covered in dust, hopped and skipped out of the intact "big butt" and scrambled down the hillside!
"Good heavens, did we actually disable it just now?" the gunner wondered.

"Whatever, maybe Zion's new tanks aren't as scary as Surria said."

Majid said, "Let them come! We will make the Vazni Valley the graveyard of Zion!"

(End of this chapter)