Middle Eastern tyrants

Chapter 244 Piercing (Part 5)

Haifa East District, a major thoroughfare leading to the port.

Sergeant Qasim was driving an M113 armored personnel carrier along Saadiya Street toward the port.

Their mission was to seize the port of Haifa to open up a route for the landing of subsequent troops and the transport of supplies.

The streets were extremely narrow, with densely packed buildings on both sides. The sounds of gunfire and artillery shells hitting the ground filled the air, and everyone was on edge.

As they sped past an alleyway, an old woman wearing a headscarf and with a hunched back stared at them as they drove away, her eyes filled with utter indifference and hostility.

"Didn't they say Haifa had already been evacuated?" The new recruit Jamal gripped his rifle tightly; this wasn't the first time he'd seen civilians.

“In less than a week, Zion could not possibly evacuate all its residents. At most, they could only move the able-bodied men and women,” Sergeant Qasim said, looking out the window. “What’s left are the elderly, women, and children who are unable to move.”

At that moment, machine gun fire and the squad leader's shout came from the roof of the vehicle: "There's movement on the second floor of that white building at three o'clock!"

The 7.62mm bullets from the M60 machine gun sprayed fire, tearing the window to shreds.

Hearing the noise above him, the new recruit Jamal instinctively shrank his neck.

“That’s the reassuring sound. If Mahmoud’s gun had stopped firing, it would mean we were in danger,” a veteran beside him reminded him.

Just then, the vehicle swerved and shook violently. Jamal heard Sergeant Qasim shout, "Merkava, we're facing them head-on!"

The shells grazed their M113s, blasting a large hole in the building behind them.

Once the vehicle slowed down, a squad of soldiers attached to the troop carrier quickly disembarked to carry out cover and combat missions.

It is worth mentioning that the M113 can carry about a squad of soldiers, but when carrying out combat missions in the city, most of the soldiers are attached to the outside of the vehicle.

On the one hand, it was to enable rapid maneuverability and retaliate within seconds of contact with the enemy; on the other hand, the aluminum alloy of the M113 was too thin, not only unable to withstand conventional weapons, but also had poor visibility, and if everyone was inside the vehicle, a single rocket could wipe out the entire crew.

At this moment, the Merkava on the opposite side also began to maneuver, attempting to defeat this small group of enemies within a certain area.

The veteran got a rocket launcher, and Jamal quickly got out of the car and followed behind the veteran to provide cover.

Zion's Merkava showed a scalp, and the two formed a simple anti-tank team, starting to sneak towards the side of the tank.

Sergeant Qasim continued driving the M113 with the machine gunner in tow through the narrow alleys, distracting the enemy tanks.

"Ten o'clock!"

The veteran, with his sharp eyes, spotted a slope with a good view, and a low stone wall forming a shelter around the yard.

The two quickly crossed the dirt road, bullets flying from who-knows-where right behind their heels, but Jamal didn't dare to even glance at them.

The veteran skillfully set up the rocket launcher, when a bullet struck his shoulder, causing him to stagger and explode in a cloud of blood.

Zion's infantry then began to suppress them with fire, exchanging fire with Jamal's squad across the alley.

"You! Use the rocket launcher!" The veteran, enduring excruciating pain, handed the rocket launcher to Kamal.

Kamal felt his adrenaline surge to his throat. Trembling, he picked up his RPG and scrambled away from his original position. Taking advantage of the moment when the enemy ceased fire, he gritted his teeth, rolled over, and aimed from a kneeling position.

Merkava was now just a street away from them, and the veteran shouted, "Too close!"

But it was too late. Jamal pulled the trigger, and the rocket flew out, leaving a trail of flame.

The Merkava's commander reacted extremely quickly, pulling his upper body back into position.

The rocket struck the Merkava's turret and then detonated with a deafening roar. The massive explosion knocked several Zion soldiers to the ground, sending them sprawling forward.

The Merkava's turret burst into flames, but only on the outside. Then it turned its main gun and aimed it toward Kamal.

Nothing happened?!
Kamal stood there, stunned.

At this critical moment, the wall of a half-destroyed warehouse on the side suddenly collapsed, and an M60A1 tank painted in camouflage roared out and slammed into the side track of the Merkava at an astonishing speed!
The two steel behemoths collided, their armor screeching as they engaged in a fierce struggle.

However, the 70-ton Merkava only shook violently and did not capsize as expected.

Its powerful engine roared, its tracks spinning wildly on the ground, kicking up clouds of dust, trying to shake off the M60A1's impact.

"Fire!!" shouted the soldiers beside him, but they were suppressed by machine gun fire and dared not show their heads.

At that moment, Kamal saw a figure emerge from the turret of Shuangzhi's M60A1, cursing and jumping from his side onto the roof of the Merkava, attempting to open the hatch.

Because this scene was so unexpected, the other Shuangzhi soldiers, after a brief moment of stunned silence, decisively opened fire to provide cover.

But the Merkava's commander was cunning; when retracting the turret, he didn't forget to lock it from the inside.

“There’s another door behind us!” Kamal shouted a reminder.

Inspired, Lieutenant Zahid quickly jumped to the side and behind Merkava.

During the previous battle with the 38th Division in Quneitra, Shuangzhi captured several new Zion tanks and studied the unique structure of the Merkava.

Some army soldiers discovered that, in order to balance infantry transport and crew survival, the Merkava has a hidden emergency hatch at the rear of the vehicle. Although the hatch is closed from the inside during peacetime combat, there is still a hidden, operable valve on the outside.

This is all in line with Zion's design philosophy for this new type of tank—to enable rescue operations from the outside and maximize the survival rate of the crew.

When designing their first generation of weapons and equipment, most countries have somewhat incomprehensible thought processes.

Lieutenant Zahid smashed the hidden metal plate with the butt of his rifle, then gripped the wrench and pulled hard, letting sunlight stream into the dimly lit cabin.

The three Zion tank crewmen inside the tank were filled with astonishment when they saw Zahid.

"Allahu Akbar!!"

Lieutenant Zahid fired his submachine gun.

The bullets ricocheted inside the vehicle, instantly turning all the Zion soldiers into sieves.

"What happened in the back?" the driver exclaimed from the front of the vehicle.

The Merkava's interior has an "L"-shaped structure, with the driver's cab not only offset to the left but also backed by the ammunition compartment. The driver only heard the gunshots and had no idea what was happening.

Zahid crouched down and squeezed into the narrow cabin, replying in broken Hebrew, "They've all gone to see God!"

"Hold!"

The driver cursed and tried to pull out his pistol, but Zahid's bullet was faster.

With the driver falling to the ground, the Merkava finally stopped roaring.

Zahid jumped out of the tank and pointed to his M60A1 main gun at his teammates who were rushing over: "We're out of ammo!"

He saw Jamal aiming his gun at a pair of civilians not far away—a middle-aged woman was struggling to drag a wounded Zion soldier behind cover.

“Put him down! I command you to put him down!” Jamal shouted.

The woman glanced back at Jamal, but showed no sign of stopping. Jamal called out again, and the woman stopped, but remained standing still.

Jamal gritted his teeth and killed the wounded Zion soldier.

He gestured for the woman to leave quickly, but she squatted down instead.

"Don't do that! Don't do that!!"

The gun fired again before the woman's hand could touch the gun barrel.

Zahid looked at the woman's body lying on the ground, walked to Jamal's side, and gently patted the pale-faced recruit on the shoulder: "You did the right thing, this is war."

On the battlefield, no one has time to think. Jamal suppressed all his emotions and turned to look after the veteran who had just been hit.

Now, he is about to become a new veteran.

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.

Zion, Sixth Army Headquarters.

Lieutenant General Eitan stood in front of the battle map, which marked the deployment locations of various units of the Sixth Army, while communications soldiers received battle reports from each unit.

"Reporting to the commander, the encrypted line to the headquarters has been established."

Ethan picked up the red phone: "General, this is Ethan."

Yesavishin's voice came through the receiver: "Report on your current situation."

Lieutenant General Eitan glanced at the latest battle report: "The 188th Armored Brigade engaged in firefight with the 5th Mechanized Division of Surya at the Karnaim crossroads, destroying nineteen tanks and losing three. The 35th Infantry Division successfully repelled two company-sized attacks in the Beitshean Valley, losing half a platoon and capturing approximately 80 enemy soldiers."

"Has the enemy taken the bait?"

"So far, yes."

Eitan replied, "We voluntarily abandoned the position at Caffarmasla, leaving behind some damaged heavy equipment. The 7th and 9th Armored Divisions have completed their concealed deployment in the Aragon Valley and will cut off the retreat route once the main Surria force enters the ambush zone."

Ant, vying with the United States for control of the Arab coalition, sent his staff to forcibly take over the Surya Army Group and personally took command, which gave Zion this hard-won opportunity.

There was a moment of silence on the other end of the phone: "You need to be careful, we don't have much room for error right now."

"clear."

After hanging up the phone, Eitan turned to the operations staff: "Notify all units to strictly follow the plan."

The operations staff officer said, "The way the Surya troops are advancing has changed significantly this time. Compared to last year and the year before, their infantry-tank coordination is more orderly, and their artillery firepower has become more precise and controlled. Their tactics have become more three-dimensional."

"It seems the Ants' guidance has indeed been effective," the chief of staff commented.

The adjutant, however, was unconvinced: "No matter how much progress they make, it doesn't change the fact that they are an Arab army."

Zion always felt a sense of psychological superiority when facing Arab armies, especially those of Masr and Suwonya.

After all, it is confidence bestowed upon us by history.

Half an hour later, a report came from the frontline reconnaissance unit: "Report to the commander: the vanguard of the Surya armored division has crossed the old site of Kafalmasla, and the enemy's 7th Mechanized Infantry Division is advancing towards the Aragon Valley."

Eitan looked at the red line marked on the map, which meant that the enemy's main force had fully entered the ambush area. He decisively issued the order: "Order the 7th and 9th Armored Divisions to attack immediately and cut off the enemy's retreat. The 188th Armored Brigade will launch an attack from the front!"

Ethan put on his coat and said to his adjutant, "I'm going to the front lines myself."

Faced with a war that could influence the entire situation, even a steady general like Eitan couldn't help but feel a surge of excitement.

He wanted to witness firsthand how this battle would ultimately end.

"Yes, sir!" The adjutant saluted and immediately prepared the car.

Soon, Eitan arrived at the command post at the front line. Through a high-powered telescope, he saw the 7th and 9th Armored Divisions, hidden in the valley, fiercely attacking the flank of the main Surya forces.

"Report: The 7th Division has taken control of the southern exit of the Aragon Valley, and the 9th Division has blocked the northern passage of the valley."

“Well done,” Ethan took a deep breath: “Immediately order all units to divide and annihilate the surrounded enemy forces according to plan!”

The adjutant could barely contain his smile: "This time, we might be able to wipe out Surria's entire main force, cripple them, and even tie down Shuangzhi's army group."

The situation in Haifa was already a pressing issue for Zion, but for the Sixth Army, no matter how anxious they were, it was useless.

Ethan lowered his binoculars: "That Amir is capable, but his teammates always like to cause trouble. It took him two years to finally unite the Arabs, but this time it has brought about a conflict between Ant and the United States."

What's interesting is that Zion has unique ways of obtaining intelligence from both the United States and the Ant.

The former is due to early immigrants. After more than 20 years of infiltration, Zionians have long since entered all walks of life in the United States, especially in finance and news media, so it is not difficult for them to obtain intelligence.

The latter originated from World War II. Many soldiers who participated in the founding war were former Ant war veterans. After being transferred to Mossad, these intelligence networks were preserved and became valuable intelligence channels.

The adjutant sighed: "If the Arabs can unite, we actually have no chance at all."

Ethan agreed with these words, even though they were not pleasant to hear, because they were indeed true.

Back during the first Middle East war, if the Arabs had been united, the Zionians would have been driven away long ago and would have had no chance to establish themselves on this land.

Compared to Zion, the Arabs' greater enemy is themselves.

However, at that moment, the battlefield situation suddenly changed.

The Surrian forces, which had been thrown into chaos, did not retreat hastily. Instead, all units simultaneously changed direction and launched a counterattack against the Zion ambush forces on their flank in an orderly manner.

From the air, the Arab troops seemed to have anticipated this; their swift response and ferocious firepower far exceeded Eitan's expectations.

Even more shockingly, at almost the same moment, artillery positions behind Surya also crashed down on the heads of the 7th and 9th Panzer Divisions.

Etan gripped his binoculars tightly, watching as Zion's tank units burst into flames one after another amidst the sudden barrage of artillery fire. Instead of retreating, the Surrians advanced, demonstrating that their command was no longer rigid but extremely efficient, using anti-tank missiles to eliminate Zion's firing positions one by one.

"Order the front-line troops to do everything they can to contain the enemy! Artillery to provide immediate fire support!" Ethan ordered urgently.

The adjutant was also stunned by what he saw: "They...they knew about our plan all along?"

However, under intense artillery fire, the 7th and 9th Armored Divisions, which had been lying in ambush, found themselves in a counter-encirclement situation. Under the relentless pressure from the Surya army, they were forced to retreat.

When these two units suffered defeats, the Sixth Army's frontal defenses, which had been holding out, finally collapsed and began to crumble in sections.

More Surrian troops stormed in with overwhelming force.

"Isn't it said that Arabs' morale collapses once they fall into a disadvantageous position?"

Looking at the battlefield, which resembled a breached dam, Etan realized that he had made a mistake.

The dish is from Surria, not Ant.

(End of this chapter)