Middle Eastern tyrants

Chapter 232 Sky Fire
"What?! Haifa was attacked?!"

Hilbert, who had just finished his speech, suddenly swayed and nearly fell over.

Lieutenant General Daniel, who was standing nearby, quickly reached out to help him steady himself.

The color drained from Hilbert's face instantly, and his fingers gripped the edge of the podium tightly.

The intelligence officer urgently reported: "The Surya Group Army in Hamana and the Shuangzhi Group Army north of Haifa have launched simultaneous attacks. Our Fourth and Fifth Armies are engaged in fierce fighting with the enemy. In addition, an Arab army force of unknown designation has landed at the port of Haifa..."

"Is our strongest navy in the Middle East just for show?!" Hilbert slammed his ceramic cup to the ground, shards flying everywhere. "What is Eliezer Haim doing?! Where is his fleet?!"

"Almost all of our destroyers and missile boats are escorting ships in Latakia..." the intelligence officer whispered in response. "The fleets of Masr and Surria have been attacking our cargo ships..."

Hilbert paused, recalling that the headquarters had indeed reported on the Battle of Latakia that morning, and that Navy Commander Elie Ze Haim had also subtly reminded him that the current size of the navy was insufficient to cope with multiple threats.

His shoulders slumped, his face turned ashen, and he abruptly shook off Lieutenant General Daniel's hand, pacing back and forth anxiously.

What's the situation in the city right now?

"The General Staff's reconnaissance battalion, Marine Corps Guard, and Air Force ground support units have all been committed to the battle. The enemy is well-equipped, and main battle tanks have been confirmed to be advancing towards the industrial area."

"What's the scale? How many people are there?"

"This..." the intelligence officer said hesitantly, "Haifa has complex terrain and low visibility at night, making it difficult to make accurate estimates. But judging from the intensity of the firefight, there is at least one mechanized infantry division."

"A division?!"

Hilbert's eyes widened, and the veins on the side of his neck bulged.

Zion's core industrial city, despite being heavily fortified on the outside, was infiltrated by an entire enemy division.
Haifa possesses the nation's most important military-industrial complex, chemical plants, and strategic port; the destructive power of a single division is enough to destroy the entire city's war potential!

He recalled his speech to the nation—a vow to live and die with Jerusalem and never surrender.

But the enemy didn't attack Jerusalem at all.

He became the clown of the entire scene.

"Oh shit……"

Hilbert felt his blood pressure spike.

He was fooled.

The entire Zion leadership has been played!

"Amir...it's Amir again!!"

He repeated the name through gritted teeth, a belated sense of humiliation welling up inside him.

The other side first put forward a "provisional agreement" at the United Nations to divert their attention to the Sinai Peninsula and Jerusalem; then, by attacking cargo ships, they transferred their main naval force to Latakia.

The real purpose, however, was this surprise naval attack aimed directly at Haifa.

How could I not have thought of that?

No—it's not that I couldn't think of it, but under normal circumstances, it would be impossible to do.

Who would have thought of smuggling tanks and armored vehicles by hiding them in cargo ships? Such an adventure, if discovered, would result in the annihilation of the entire force.

But the other party actually did it.

If there are no conditions, create them.

They lured away the defending troops, jammed their radar, and successfully landed under the cover of night and fog.

But where did their fleet come from?

Surria?

Or...Phoenicians?!
"Contact Yesavishin immediately and have him call me!"

Hilbert strode to his car, leaving with an order before departing:
"I need to be aware of all developments on the front lines in real time—immediately!"

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.

Haifa, western part of Haifa Port.

After the first wave of close-quarters combat, Al-Hari's assault brigade successfully landed and engaged in fierce fighting with the hastily arriving Zion defenders.

Their ships underwent special modifications in Phoenicia, including reinforced front ramps and additional armor, allowing tanks and armored vehicles to quickly beach themselves.

This mechanized infantry brigade, though not called "Guards," is a true elite force within the Shuangzhi unit.

In terms of combat effectiveness, they are experienced; in terms of loyalty, they are no less than any glorious unit, otherwise they would not have been entrusted with such a dangerous sabotage mission behind enemy lines.

The entire harbor was illuminated by incendiary bombs and flames, and the sounds of explosions and whistling bullets were incessant.

"Brigade Commander, all units have completed their landing and assembly," the staff officer reported.

Al-Khali looked at the port where smoke was rising: "Disperse your operations as planned, focusing on destroying industrial facilities and military targets."

No sooner had he finished speaking than another group of Zion defenders arrived at the scene in armored vehicles.

Al-Khali personally led a company to outflank and quickly route the hastily assembled defenders.

He personally directed an M60A1 tank on the main road, followed by several armored vehicles.

Just as they were trying to expand their gains, a sudden change occurred.

"boom!"

A completely different, dull and penetrating cannon shot came from the side front, and almost simultaneously, the side of an M113 following Al-Khali's vehicle exploded!

The massive shockwave tore through the thin armor, and the entire vehicle instantly turned into a burning fireball, rolling sideways off the road with parts scattered everywhere.

"Tanks in action! Engage!"

Al-Khali retreated back into the turret.

The opponent had just aimed at the intersection and should have hit him.

"Go around to the right!" he ordered swiftly.

The driver yanked the control lever, and the tracks of the M60A1 screeched as the massive vehicle deftly veered into the right-hand side road, attempting to find an angle to attack.

The surviving M113s went full throttle, their machine guns firing furiously in the direction of the incoming shells, trying to disrupt the enemy.

Through the periscope, Al-Khali finally spotted his opponent: a low-slung Merkava with a wedge-shaped turret, its hull and turret fitted with heavy box-type blast-resistant armor, making it look particularly menacing in the firelight.

It was slowly adjusting its gun barrel, trying to lock onto the constantly moving M113.

"Load armor-piercing rounds!" Al-Khali growled.

"Armor-piercing rounds ready!" The loader worked swiftly.

The M60A1's 105mm rifled gun steadily pointed at the target.

Al-Khali vaguely realized that the armor covering the enemy tanks was difficult to deal with, but he knew that all tanks had a common weakness.

"Aim at its tracks and idler wheel! Stop it!" Al-Khali made the decision.

"understand!"

The gunner firmly secured the crosshairs to the right track of the Merkava.

"boom!"

The M60A1's chassis shuddered, and the shell whistled out!

"Clang—Bang!"

The shell accurately hit the Merkava's track joint, triggering the explosion of the additional blast protection armor module. Although it failed to penetrate the main armor directly, the huge impact and fragments clearly severely damaged its running gear.

The Merkava veered to one side, attempting to move, but only managed to spin in place, its tracks emitting a screeching metallic scraping sound, before finally breaking down completely.

"Hit! It can't move!"

"High-explosive shells, load! Send it on its way!" Al-Khali pressed his advantage.

The second shell was fired immediately afterward, this time hitting the exposed side of the Merkava's turret after it lost its mobility. The explosion instantly engulfed half of the turret. After the smoke cleared, the turret hatch was seen to be blown open, with flames faintly emerging from inside, rendering it completely incapacitated.

"Target destroyed!"

The passengers in the vehicle breathed a sigh of relief. Al-Harry, however, raised his binoculars again to carefully observe the area around the wrecked Merkava.

“Strange, I didn’t see any of their infantry.” Al-Khali noticed that there were no fallen infantry corpses near the destroyed Merkava.

The loader chuckled, "Maybe they were scared away by our artillery fire?"

Although they won again after this fierce battle, Al-Khali knew that more defenders would surround them with stronger firepower, and they didn't have much time left.

But an even more pressing problem loomed before him. Al-Harry frowned as he looked at the streets and warehouses around him, which were almost completely destroyed: "Damn it, where am I now?"

"How about we grab a couple of prisoners and question them?" the driver asked tentatively.

Al-Khalifan rolled his eyes: "The people living here are all Zionians. Do you believe them if they say so? And do you even understand Hebrew?"

The driver awkwardly shut his mouth: "Then what do we do?" Al-Hali turned his gaze towards the deeper part of the city: "Head towards East Port! That's where the naval base and the more central industrial area are. If we attack there, we can definitely tie down more of the enemy's forces and attention!"

He unconsciously placed his hand on his chest, where, beneath his military uniform, he treasured a feather, though not entirely intact.

This journey was destined to be full of hardships, and he silently said in his heart, "Please bear witness."

The driver whistled a light whistle to dispel the tension: "Yes, sir!"

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.

Haifa, Lamat David Air Base.

General Gorodish was hurriedly boarding a transport plane when a lieutenant colonel from the General Staff reconnaissance team stopped him.

"General! Please wait!"

Gorodish wiped his sweat impatiently: "What is it? I must move immediately! I'm the Air Force Commander, not some army idiot. Do you expect me to go and fight enemy tanks hand-to-hand?"

The lieutenant colonel was taken aback for a moment, not expecting the other party to act so straightforwardly.

But he hurriedly said, "General, we couldn't contact the city defense commander during the initial firefight. Naval Commander General Elizer Haim is directing the fleet to regain control of the port. According to the emergency regulations, you must stay here to oversee the overall situation and coordinate all available forces to resist the invasion!"

Gorodish's face scrunched up as he yelled, "Supreme Commander? Are you kidding me! Isn't there the Military Police Commander? Or maybe the Port Authority Director could take over? I'm just in charge of the planes!"

Seeing his superior trying to desert his post, the lieutenant colonel had no choice but to adopt a tough stance: "If you insist on leaving Haifa, then I will be forced to exercise the duties of the General Staff Reconnaissance Team and submit an impeachment report on you to the Supreme Court after the war!"

Gorodish's face darkened.

He was just about to hatch a wicked plan—but out of the corner of his eye, he saw other officers from the General Staff reconnaissance team not far away.

So Gorodish hesitated; he didn't want to be branded a traitor.

"All right……"

After much deliberation, Gorodish reluctantly agreed, but then immediately set a condition: "As the current supreme commander, my safety must be adequately guaranteed!"

As if to complement his performance, a series of muffled and violent explosions suddenly came from the distant city, and the firelight faintly reddened the sky. Gorodish subconsciously shrank his neck and almost shouted: "Eliza al-Hayim still doesn't know how many Arab troops have sneaked into Haifa! I think there are at least two divisions! Yes, two divisions of elite Arab troops are causing trouble in the city!"
Immediately send a telegram to the headquarters of the Fifth and Sixth Army Groups, ordering them to send troops back to suppress the rebellion! Immediately! Right now! The safety of the Haifa government and the provisional command is in their hands!

The lieutenant colonel breathed a sigh of relief, but at least he had temporarily kept this "big shot" at bay: "Yes, General! I will go and convey your orders immediately!"

---

On the front lines in Hamana, artillery fire raged, and the Surya army's offensive was exceptionally fierce.

Lieutenant General Oltra, commander of the Fifth Army in Zion, stood in the command center, closely monitoring the real-time updates on the battlefield situation.

Despite the sudden attack, he remained calm and composed.

"Order the 7th Armored Brigade to withdraw to the second line of defense, lure the enemy deep into the anti-tank ambush zone, and have the artillery group conduct tiered interception fire, focusing on weakening their infantry's ability to follow up."

Despite the surprise attack, Zion's forces, under his command, maintained a firm line and effectively wore down the attacking Surrian army.

Ortra was the youngest army group commander in Zion and one of the few military attachés belonging to the Likud group. Despite his limited combat record, he was highly trusted by Yeshavishen.

Listening to the steady reports coming from the front lines, Oltra's lips curled into a slight smile: "The Arabs are nothing special."

Just then, the communications officer delivered an urgent message from the Haifa base.

"What? Haifa has been attacked? A large number of enemy troops have appeared in the city?"

Major General Ortra's composure vanished instantly, replaced by shock. "How large? Two divisions?! Gorodish said it himself?"

Upon receiving confirmation, Olmert's brow furrowed deeply.

This is a serious matter.

Without even considering the ambiguity in Gorodish's words, he immediately connected with Lieutenant General Eitan, commander of the Sixth Army.

"Something terrible has happened in the rear."

Altra spoke very quickly: "News has come from Gorodish that at least two Arab divisions have infiltrated Haifa!"

"Two divisions? How is that possible?!"

Eitan's voice was equally filled with disbelief, "Where did the Arabs infiltrate from? In any case, if they succeed, our logistics and military-industrial core will be finished!"

"That's what I thought,"

Ortra said gravely, “The Surrians’ attack is fierce, but they won’t be able to break through our lines anytime soon. But if Haifa falls, it will be of little use even if we hold the front. I suggest we immediately tighten our defenses, increase the density of our defenses, and free up troops to clear out the enemy forces inside the city!”

After a moment's thought, Eitan agreed: "You're right, we can't let the enemy cut off our lifeline! I suggest we move towards the center at the same time, form a tighter defensive line, and immediately transfer the 11th Armored Division and the 42nd Mechanized Infantry Division to Haifa!"

---

When he learned that the enemy's defenses were beginning to tighten, Lu Lin breathed a slight sigh of relief.

The opportunity finally came.

"Order the armored forces to advance immediately, with the artillery following closely behind," he gave the order.

At this point, Lu Lin had taken command of the expeditionary force. The chief of staff hesitated for a moment, then reminded him, "Marshal, the artillery units are positioned so deep; what if the enemy launches a counterattack?"

Bandar glanced at the chief of staff, who immediately shut up.

Lu Lin had already activated his eagle-like perspective, his consciousness connected with Enqi's. Looking down from high above, he could see the general outline of the Zion army's movements.

A dozen minutes later, the communicator rang.

"'Long-range artillery' reports: the artillery group is in position and awaiting firing data."

The "long-range artillery" is a special artillery unit specially prepared by Lu Lin, equipped with M109 155mm self-propelled howitzers and extended-range ammunition for almost the entire army, with an effective range of over 30 kilometers.

At this moment, Enzidu also flew over Haifa. Lu Lin cross-referenced the shared vision with the map of the Haifa region and quickly calculated the coordinates.

“Everyone has it,” he said into the microphone. “The coordinates are as follows—”

-

Tel Aviv, headquarters.

"Two divisions?!"

Yesavishin was furious. "Just half an hour ago it was a mechanized infantry division! What is that idiot Gorodish doing?!"

Just as he was about to order a reprimand of Gorodish and verify the situation, another urgent battle report arrived.

"Report! Lieutenant General Oltra of the Fifth Army and Lieutenant General Eitan of the Sixth Army have ordered a voluntary contraction of their defensive lines in preparation for a return to reinforce Haifa." The communications officer relayed the latest intelligence.

When Yeshavishin heard this, his head went blank.

He then shouted urgently, "Don't retreat! Tell Olmert and Ethan to hold them off!"

The messenger seemed hesitant and stammering.

Because it was clearly too late, the army group commanders on the Zion front had a great deal of autonomy, and by the time their decisions were relayed back to headquarters, they were probably being implemented or had already been implemented.

At that moment, new intelligence came in: "Report! Just as the Fifth Army was retreating, the Arab armored forces began to advance!"

Yeshavishin slammed his fist heavily on the table, causing the solid wood surface to tremble.

"Gorodish, that coward!!" he cursed again, burning with rage.

The staff officer beside him seemed puzzled and asked in a low voice, "General, the decision regarding the Fifth and Sixth Armies seems reasonable in terms of the order of events, doesn't it? First, ensure the safety of the rear, then deal with the threats outside the city."

"idiot!"

Yesavishin abruptly interrupted him, his voice hoarse with anger, "Don't you know what's most important to Haifa? It's not the city itself, it's our weapons factories! Our missile production lines! Our oil refineries!"

His next words sent chills down the spines of the entire command center staff: "We don't need any troops to enter the city. As long as their grenades can hit our cities, they can destroy our industrial capacity, airports, and ports! If our factories are gone, we're doomed to lose this war! We're finished!"

"But can they really hit that accurately, especially at night?"

Another staff officer still harbored illusions: "Moreover, we are very close to Haifa. As long as we wait until the next morning, our air force can destroy all of the enemy's firing data."

But then he realized something, and along with all the staff officers in the entire General Staff, his heart was gripped by immense panic.

Precision shooting at night.

Among the Arab officers, there is probably one who could do that.

Although the other party is now a marshal of the Arab Allied Forces, what he feared even more before was the terrifying artillery command ability of the Zion soldiers.

As if to confirm this worst-case scenario, a series of urgent communications were transmitted to the command center.

"Report! In the eastern part of Haifa, the Bakam refinery has been subjected to multiple rounds of artillery fire! The main distillation unit has been hit and is on fire, which is out of control!"

"Report! Haifa military airport has been hit by long-range artillery fire! Multiple craters have appeared on the runway, and takeoffs and landings are disrupted!"

"Report."

Panic spread like a plague, and the staff officers who had previously held onto hope were now slumped in their chairs, their lips trembling and unable to speak.

A huge sense of frustration welled up in Yeshavishin's heart. His hard jawline trembled slightly, but it eventually turned into a helpless sigh.

(End of this chapter)