Middle Eastern tyrants

Chapter 245 Appearances are in harmony but minds are separate
Surya Army Group Front Command.

Markov stood before the high-powered telescope at the observation post, watching the retreating Zion troops on the battlefield.

A cold smile curled at the corner of his lips as he turned to his staff behind him and said, "Is this the Zion army that has caused you repeated defeats? I think their fighting ability is not even as good as the militia forces within Ant territory."

An Ant colonel chuckled and replied, "General, if we were to send one of our motorized infantry companies to fight, it probably wouldn't take them more than a week to advance from the Phoenician border to Tel Aviv."

The Surya officers present all lowered their heads, none daring to meet Markov's gaze.

"Those rumors about Amir are, in my opinion, all exaggerations." Markov waved his hand dismissively. "Perhaps he is indeed stronger than you, but he is nowhere near as powerful as the legends portray. It is your incompetence that makes the Zionians appear so strong."

Colonel Surria mustered his courage and asked, "General, what should we do next?"

“Weren’t we tasked with a feint attack by the Allies?” Markov walked to the battle map. “The situation has changed. I’ve decided to alter the battle plan. The entire army will advance south and annihilate the Sixth Army of Zion in one fell swoop.”

“But what about Marshal Amir?” another officer said hesitantly.

"The battlefield situation changes rapidly, and commanders should adapt to changing circumstances."

Markov interrupted, "Haifa is about to fall. We no longer need to waste our forces there. The most important thing now is to expand our gains and annihilate this main Zion force."

Seeing the Zion forces retreating steadily on the battlefield, the officers of Surria were finally persuaded.

If one could truly capture enemy generals and flags on the battlefield, who would want to be a mere supporting character?

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.

Meanwhile, the Seventh Army's positions in Zion.

On the open plains of Galilee, the armored forces of the Seventh Army of Zion stood in neat formation.

Countless tank units formed a standard offensive formation, with their guns all pointing north. Infantry fighting vehicles were arranged in neat squares according to their combat sequence, and soldiers, fully armed, stood solemnly beside the vehicles.

Lieutenant General Ger stood on the command vehicle, his gaze sweeping over the fully equipped and ready troops. He raised his right hand and waved it forward: "All troops, proceed according to the battle plan!"

The tank engines roared simultaneously, kicking up clouds of dust.

The entire armored group began to advance northward, maintaining its combat formation, and headed towards the designated target area.

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.

Lu Lin received the message from Ibrahim immediately.

"Zion's forces have begun their attack on Quneitra?"

Lu Lin strode to the map, his gaze sweeping over the vast Galilee Plain.

Zion has deployed three armies along this defensive line, with the Fifth and Sixth Armies directly in front of them and at a disadvantage. It seems that only the Seventh Army is capable of launching an attack on Quneitra.

Is this some kind of "besieging Wei to rescue Zhao" strategy?
Lu Lin narrowed his eyes, vaguely sensing that something seemed amiss with the enemy's attack.

While this tactic of interlocking attacks and launching fierce assaults on the opponent's heart is very much in line with Zion's tactical style, its feasibility of success is too low.

Not to mention that their "Central Army" deployed on the Golan Heights can defend itself with fortifications and geographical advantages, even if the other troops were to flank the Seventh Army in Zion, they could "disconnect" the Seventh Army, and might even be able to encircle and annihilate the entire force.

By then, Zion's northern defenses will be completely destroyed, and the region from Haifa to the Galilee plains will fall.

"So, the attack on Kunetra is most likely a feint. What is their real objective?"

Lu Lin's gaze fell on the location of the Surria Allied Forces southeast of Haifa. A thought struck him, and he turned around and ordered, "Call Commander Hafiz of Surria."

Fahd nodded and quickly dialed the internal hotline of the Surya Front.

"This is the Surya Front."

"Headquarters, please pass this to the army group commander."

"Hold on."

A moment later, a calm and authoritative male voice rang out: "I am Hafiz."

Lu Lin went straight to the point: "Commander, Kunetra has just been shelled. But I judge that Zion's real target may be in your direction, and the movements of the Seventh Army are worth being vigilant about."

"Understood," Hafiz replied. "I will increase vigilance."

“Please be extremely careful,” Lu Lin added. “Report any developments immediately.”

After ending the communication, Fahd reported: "Marshal, the vanguard has taken control of Haifa Port and is engaged in combat with the Zion Navy."

Upon hearing this, Lu Lin's attention was immediately drawn.

Haifa Port is the center of Haifa. The fact that they can control it means that the city's garrison is beginning to have difficulty resisting their offensive and is starting to collapse.

This proves that modern siege tactics have been effective.

They can continue to use this tactic when attacking other cities, such as Beersheba, Eilat, and Tel Aviv, and become even more proficient at it.

Shuangzhi will also be the first national force to be able to skillfully utilize modern siege tactics.

"Continue to wipe out the enemy forces in the city," Lu Lin ordered. "Prioritize searching the enemy command post."

Surya Front Command.

Hafiz relayed Lu Lin's warning to Markov.

"The Seventh Army?" Markov scoffed. "Even if they really come, they're nothing to fear."

But he wasn't stupid after all. Markov hesitated for a moment, then softened his tone and said, "Tell Amir to bring down Army Group Center to cooperate with us. Since we're going to fight anyway, why not launch a pincer attack on the enemy?"

Hafiz was utterly bewildered after hearing this.

The Surya Army Group is now under Allied command. Is this a move to allow subordinate units to command their superiors in combat?
and,

Central Army?
Hafez was well aware of the composition of this force, as it was a multinational coalition with varying combat skills and relatively poor cohesion.

Lu Lin originally intended to use this unit as a reserve force, but once it was deployed from Kunetra to the main battlefield, it would mean losing the geographical advantage of attacking from a high position.

Moreover, if they lose, they might be overwhelmed by a counterattack, and the headquarters could be wiped out.

Hafez then said, "Marshal Amir is only speculating at this point; let's be extra cautious."

“Listen,” Markov said seriously, “if the Seventh Army really attacks, we will be the first to bear the brunt. It’s always good to have someone share the burden.”

"So, you also think Marshal Amir's analysis is correct?"

Markov's expression was rather unnatural.

After careful consideration, Hafiz decided to contact the headquarters again.

The response he received this time was: stick to the original plan, continue to put pressure on the Sixth Army, and if they encounter the Seventh Army, retreat in an orderly manner to preserve their strength, with the Shuangzhi Expeditionary Force providing artillery support.

He relayed the reply to Markov, but the latter was clearly dissatisfied with it: "We are capable of defeating the Sixth Army alone, and should at least wipe out these two armored divisions that attempted to ambush us."

He was referring to the enemy's 7th and 9th Armored Divisions lying in ambush.

"Are you confident you can deal with two enemy forces at the same time?" Hafiz asked rhetorically.

"It's not a matter of whether we're confident or not, but whether we should do it or not!"

This Ant soldier exuded an aura of intimidation. Markov reminded him, "You know better than I that to gain a voice in the Middle East, you must rely on force or military achievements. Think of Surya's grand ambitions. If you don't want to bow down to Shuangzhi and the United States after the war, you'd better make some tangible achievements now—that's why I'm here."

The phrase "grand ambitions" struck a chord with Commander Hafez. During the Ottoman Empire's rule, the entire Levant region, including Surya, Phoenicia, Zion, and even Hashim, was known as "Greater Surya" or "Sham."

However, due to the Sykes-Picot Agreement later signed between the United Kingdom and France, this land was divided into several countries.

Although Suriya now recognizes these neighboring countries as equal sovereign states, in the hearts of the Suriya people, these regions are more like territories that were severed by colonialism and never returned.

This is also the "Greater Surya" merger plan that Hafez has been pushing for.

The most representative example is Phoenicia, a country that Hafez had already designated as his own "backyard" in his mind. He felt very regretful that the last time he tried to control it by force failed.

It is foreseeable that once the subsequent war is won, all Arab countries will take their share of the spoils.

Hafez had always wanted to take control of the fertile Galilee Plain and parts of Haifa, so that he could completely surround Phoenicia and lay the foundation for the future geopolitical landscape.

"I understand."

Hafiz finally nodded, "Then proceed according to your plan."

He looked out the window and seemed to see the flag of Surria flying over the plains of Galilee.

This temptation is simply irresistible.

……

The battle in the Haifa port area has lasted for six hours and has gradually moved from the land to the sea.

Initially, Zion's Fifth Army resisted in the port area using pre-built fortifications, while a series of armored units, including the Merkava, conducted mobile operations in the streets.

But the arrival of armed helicopters began to tip the scales of victory.

Zion's armored forces were completely outmatched by the mobile firepower in the air.

Each salvo from the AH-1 "Cobra" was able to deliver precise strikes to Zion tanks, while Zion forces retaliated with self-propelled anti-aircraft guns, but were suppressed by rockets fired from helicopters.

Therefore, Zion's ground forces could only shrink their defensive perimeter and rely on a limited network of low-altitude firepower to launch a counterattack.

Zion's naval patrol ships and missile boats deployed in battle formation two kilometers offshore, using naval guns and Gabriel missiles to strike targets on land.

Meanwhile, Shuangzhi deployed M113 troop carriers equipped with TOW anti-tank missiles and M60A1 main battle tanks on the shore, and the two sides engaged in a passionate firefight across the coastline.

However, the biggest problem with missile boats is their limited missile capacity. Once all four anti-ship missiles are used up, they can only rely on the machine guns at the bow.

Soon after the first missile boat was hit by a TOW missile, the remaining ships had to begin retreating to the open sea. After losing naval fire support, the defensive line of Zion Port began to collapse.

Naval Headquarters.

General Elie Ze Haim witnessed the entire battle through observation equipment in the command center.

The headquarters building is located on the northwest side of the port, which is already on the front line of the battle.

Commander Elizer: "What weapons do we have left for defense?"

The operations staff replied, "Well, the headquarters guard company is equipped with M16 rifles and M2 heavy machine guns, and the port defense inventory has a few Bofors 40mm naval guns. We have enough anti-ship missiles, but we don't have launchers."

The adjutant suggested, "Commander, to prevent surprise attacks from the Arab air force, we have a large number of anti-aircraft guns at our base. Perhaps we can lay these weapons flat and use them as ground weapons."

After listening, Elizer asked, "Which of these weapons can penetrate the armor of an Arab tank?"

The operations staff hesitated for a moment: "If we aim for the turret base or other vulnerable parts, there should still be a chance."

Elize pursed her lips.

As the least prestigious naval commander among the three branches of the armed forces, he held the rank of admiral but was largely ignored. At most, he would sit in on several operational meetings in Tel Aviv.

His current situation is also awkward. Tel Aviv has not made it clear whether he should retreat or continue fighting, and the Fifth Army seems to have forgotten about him as the naval commander.

After all, we are not part of the same combat system.

Elize currently has only 1500 naval soldiers under his command. Although their combat skills are decent, they are no match for well-equipped elite field troops.

Elizer asked first, "Can our ship dock to provide support?"

“It’s unlikely.” The operations officer shook his head. “Any ship that approaches the port now will be attacked by helicopters.”

Elize looked at his two trusted confidants, hesitating to speak.

The adjutant immediately understood: "We're too close to the enemy now. To preserve the command system, we must relocate immediately!"

The operations staff officer also realized what was happening and chimed in, "I'll go prepare the vehicles right away!"

Elizer nodded.

The staff officers got busy, but it was basically all about quickly preparing for the evacuation; they didn't even have time to destroy the documents.

Elize looked at the setting sun over the sea, feeling a little melancholy. He thought about how he had devoted himself to the country and that he should be able to face his conscience with this ending.

Listening to the Hebrew broadcasts coming from the city radio station, Lieutenant Harry of Hammerhead Battalion couldn't help but look up at the towering radio tower.

"What are they saying?" the loader asked.

“I don’t understand,” Harry replied. “It’s probably a mobilization broadcast.”

The gunner suggested, "Why don't we just blow up that broadcasting tower? After all, it's a clearly defined target."

No sooner had he finished speaking than an AH-1 helicopter swept overhead and fired a missile that struck the base of the broadcast tower.

The broadcast tower slowly tilted, the cable broke, and the broadcast abruptly stopped.

gunner:"."

Harry sighed. "Looks like someone has solved this problem for us. I'm quite envious of Al-Harry—not everyone has the luck to capture an air force commander."

"Who wouldn't be envious?"

The loader laughed and said, "But there's only one Gorodish. If we want to capture another commander, we'll have to go after Jesavishin!"

Just as they were talking, a convoy of more than a dozen armed jeeps drove out from deep within the port area.

The two exchanged a glance across a block.

Commander Elizer: "."

Lieutenant Harry: "."

Facing the M60A1, still bearing its blue flag, it was obvious that this was Shuangzhi's elite crew. General Elizer quickly patted the driver's backrest: "What are you waiting for? Move along!!"

An indescribable flutter welled up from the depths of Harry's heart.

He had a sense of destiny about what he would rely on for the rest of his life, as if he had been struck by an electric current.

If you miss this opportunity, you'll miss it for a lifetime.

"What are you still doing?"

He kicked the back of the driver's seat—

"Full speed pursuit!"

(End of this chapter)