Eight thousand versus eleven thousand.
Our side, although the difference in troop numbers isn't a world apart, the opposition possesses armored vehicles and reliable artillery support, and most of them are fanatical extremists.
Even if our side occupies the terrain advantage and sets up an ambush in advance, it can be expected that this will be an extremely tragic and bloody war of attrition.
Once the battle becomes stalemated, caught firmly by the main force of this enormous enemy, other 1515 Armed units in nearby regions, or reinforcements from adjacent Dahuk Province, Tamim Province, or from the east Salah al-Din Province might quickly encircle. At that time, not only will the target of the response team be unattainable, but whether these eight thousand brothers can successfully break through and retreat will also become a huge question mark.
Direct confrontation is the worst strategy...
We must escape this fixed thinking and find another path!
An extremely daring tactical idea like a bolt of lightning in the dark instantly cleared the fog in Jiang Feng's mind—surround Wei to save Zhao!
Yes!
This move, although already overused in the storybooks Jiang Feng read as a child.
But a good move is timeless.
If it can pierce the pus, it's a good plaster!
He raised his head and quickly issued orders to the tactical radio: "Reconnaissance squad, all teams maintain maximum vigilance, focus on monitoring enemy command node vehicles, logistics convoy, and artillery units! I want the most precise real-time location updates, especially when they enter within ten kilometers of Bara Town!"
"Reconnaissance squad understands!"
After issuing the order, Jiang Feng immediately turned to Samir and Abu You: "Samir, Abu You, immediately command all units to evacuate Bara Town, all troops maintain radio silence, transfer to the secondary assembly point 'Camel Rock' located fifteen kilometers northeast as battalions! Actions must be swift, discipline must be strict, absolutely no exposure of whereabouts!"
Samir looked at Jiang Feng, his face full of shock and disbelief, almost doubting if he heard wrong: "Evacuate? Jiang! Do you know what you're saying? We've been lurking here for sixteen hours, setting up complete fire setups and minefields, the enemy is about to fall into our trap! Now evacuate?! All previous efforts would be wasted! Moreover, if we retreat, who will stop those terrorists from heading to the border to intercept Boss?"
"Must evacuate!"
Jiang Feng's tone left no room for negotiation.
"We can't fight this battle according to the enemy's predetermined scenario! Look at the map!"
He quickly raised the brightness of the unfolded electronic tactical map, heavily pointing his finger at the symbol representing Mosul.
"To intercept the old squad leader, 1515 has almost drained the mobile forces from all strongholds in Nineveh Province! Now Mosul, Abij, Sinjar, these old bases they've long been operating, how empty are they internally? It's almost hard to maintain basic security and frontline!"
His finger drew a sharp arc on the map from their location in Bara Town directly pointing to the northwest direction of Mosul.
"Assuming this is a battle, the enemy's main force has been successfully lured out, separated from the solid urban fortifications. What we should do now is not wait here to bite this well-equipped, numerically superior hard bone! But rather march eastward directly to attack their military stronghold—Mosul, and even allocate part of the forces to attack strongholds surrounding Mosul!"
Samir and Abu You's eyes instantly widened, pupils contracting under the eerie glow of night vision.
Attack Mosul?
"Do you mean... we feign attacking Mosul, forcing Eddie, the 1515 Nineveh Province Battlefield Commander, to return for reinforcements, thus alleviating the threat to Boss?"
Samir tried to understand this bold plan.
"Not just a feigned attack!"
Jiang Feng's gaze was as sharp as a combat knife, flashing with lethal brilliance.
"I want a real attack! If we're going to hit, hit him hard! Scare him! Eddie has taken over seventy percent of the garrison, the defense forces in Mosul are now exceedingly weak! I estimate, we only need to deploy four thousand to five thousand elites, equipped with sufficient rocket launchers, recoilless rifles, automatic grenade launchers, and demolition materials, totally capable of launching a surprise assault from multiple directions, quickly penetrating urban areas! The objective is not long-term occupation but to completely destroy their command center, communication nodes, material warehouses, barracks, and critical defensive facilities! Cause havoc in Mosul, set his backyard ablaze!"
His finger followed on the map along the highway from Bara Town to Mosul, quickly pointing out several predetermined key terrains: "Black Canyon Pass," "Death Curve," "Vulture Ridge," "Broken Bridge Lowlands"...
"Meanwhile, the remaining three to four thousand forces won't engage in direct siege. They will disperse into smaller units, as companies or even squads, equipped with all our 'Konkurs' anti-tank missiles, RPG-29s, RPG-7V2s, AGS-17s, 82mm mortars, and complete stock of IEDs and anti-tank mines, secretly pre-deployed along these treacherous segments of the highway to create multi-layered, echeloned blocking positions!"
"Awaiting when Eddie's main force receives news of their home base being attacked, anxiously confused and hastily returning to Mosul, let them tread each step on explosives and muzzles along this long way back! Use mines and roadside bombs to delay their march speed, use favorable terrain for segmented ambushes, deplete their live forces and technical equipment, strike their morale! This is the essence of our ancestors' intelligence—encircle the point to attack the relief!"
Samir and Abu You listened to Jiang Feng's tactical deployment, speechless for a long time.
Finally, Samir spoke: "What if Eddie doesn't come..."
"He can't possibly not come."
Jiang Feng said: "Nineveh Province is the most important strategic control area of 1515 in Illiguo, also a crucial pivot linking 1515 Armed forces inside Siria and those in Illiguo. Losing here, they'll be like a snake being cut into two by someone from the middle, incapable of taking care of both ends! If Buckdadi has any sense, he wouldn't take this risk just to kill my old squad leader."
Beside them, Abu You nodded repeatedly: "Yes, the United States has always hoped that we Kurd people capture all of Nineveh Province, I've attended their military meetings, their strategic concept is also like this, as long as the connection between Illiguo's and Siria's 1515 forces is severed, the 1515 Armed forces on Siria's side will bleed dry, eventually becoming isolated, fleeing south to be annihilated! It's just we weren't capable of doing it at that time..."
"Let's do it!"
Samir finally hesitated no longer.
"Implement as you said! Hit them by surprise! I'll personally lead the brothers of 'Liberation Forces' to attack Mosul!"
"No."
Jiang Feng immediately vetoed, "Siege warfare requires unified command and strong frontal firepower. Abu You Brigade is more experienced in this aspect.
Samir, you and your four thousand 'Liberation Forces' warriors under your command are more familiar with every plant and tree here, more skilled in mountain guerrilla and mobile ambushes. The responsibility of segmented blocking along the route, retarding and depleting Eddie's main force, must be borne by you! This is the key to the success or failure of the entire plan!"
He turned to Abu You, "Abu You Regiment Commander, immediately communicate through backup radio, instruct your third regiment lurking twenty kilometers north of Sinjar to swiftly turn west, advancing at forced march speed, rushing to the northern suburbs of Mosul! We will attack mainly from the east, you constrain from the north and seize the city when possible! Tell the brothers, capturing Mosul, all weapons, ammunition, vehicles, food stored by 1515 in the city, take whatever can be taken, directly blow up what can't be taken!"
Abu You grinned broadly.
Previously he was longing day and night, racking his brains to take Mosul, but never had such an opportunity.
Today he finally gets it.
Invading Mosul, even if not a long-term occupation, would greatly enhance his reputation.
Especially for Kurd people, the most respected ones are the tough men flaunting military achievements.
Although now being expelled from Kurds, Ayoub still harbors ambitions of return.
"No problem! Eyeing Mosul as a juicy prey, I've wanted to strike down this poison fang for a long time! I'll relay the orders right away!"
Orders delivered swiftly and clandestinely through low-power radio, messenger's verbal communication, and even predetermined flares transmitted to every corner of the ambush site.
The originally dormant eight thousand army laying in the dark like a sleeping beast, instantly activated. The soldiers silently packed up camouflaged nets, checked their gears, in strict tactical formation, retreated like a tide from the preset positions.
The massive force split into two, a main force of about four thousand five hundred directly led by Abu You rushed like an unsheathed sword towards Mosul in the northwest direction; another three thousand five hundred troops quickly merged into the complex mountainous terrain and ravines along the highway to Mosul under Samir's command, tensely setting minefields, constructing fire points and camouflaged positions.
An elaborately devised "encircle the point to attack the relief" grand battle began.