Baghdad, Green Zone.
The air conditioner blew the command center's air cold and dry, in stark contrast to the scorching heat outside that could melt asphalt in Baghdad's afternoon.
Colonel Kote held a cup of cold black coffee as he stood in front of the giant electronic sand table, his bloodshot eyes from lack of sleep fixed on the town model marked "Hulmatu."
The bitterness of the coffee spread over his tongue, just like his current mood.
At the edge of the sand table, blue arrows representing the militia led by Song Heping and the Mercenary Camp pointed decisively from Daguge toward Hulmatu.
"He's on the move."
Kote's assistant, Lieutenant Harrison, said in a low voice beside him.
Kote did not turn back, only snorting through his nose, laden with sarcasm and fatigue.
"Indeed, after taking so much money, he's bound to act. While the Iliko Government Army is retreating miserably at Ozham, our 'great ally' Mr. Song finally thinks the timing is right..."
Recalling all the mockery and humiliation received in Daguge last night, Kote's fingers holding the coffee cup turned slightly pale from exertion.
He really disliked Song Heping.
Yet he was utterly helpless against him.
What do you call this feeling?
It's called pain...
Staring at the map for a full five minutes, his finger heavily fell on Hulmatu's location.
"However, does he think he's heading to that Hulmatu from several days ago, with only a thousand scattered mercenaries and lax defenses? Bullshit!"
Kote's voice carried a long-suppressed resentment.
Over the past week, the government army and the US Air Force have endured tremendous pressure on the front lines. The 1515 militants have employed extremely cunning harassment tactics, effectively evading air force attacks while gradually depleting the government army's forces and morale.
Because of Song Heping's sudden withdrawal, the government army and the Kurd Armed were stuck in a quagmire of war, unable to move an inch.
Meanwhile, the damn Mercenary Leader Song Heping took advantage to extort the Great America, with a contract of 1 billion dollars, 300 million cash, and a camp full of American-style equipment...
He was simply gorging himself on profit!
Harrison said: "Maybe he thinks now is the best time to reap the battlefield's rewards..."
"Wishful thinking!"
Kote sneered as he walked back to the control panel, quickly typing on the keyboard to bring up a series of the latest satellite images and drone reconnaissance reports.
In the images showing the outskirts of Hulmatu City, trenches, anti-tank ditches, and crisscrossing transportation ditches were densely packed. Machine
gun positions were concealed like snake nests at key points.
The rooftops of key buildings were reinforced, revealing heavy machine guns and suspected flat-firing anti-aircraft guns' firing ports.
At the town's entrance, layers of barricades were built with sandbags, abandoned vehicles, and even dismantled prefabricated panels, leaving only narrow, inevitably deathtrap-filled passages.
"Look at this!"
Kote enlarged a high-resolution image, pointing to an inconspicuous ruin southeast of Hulmatu.
"Three days ago, there was nothing here. Now, there's at least one reinforced company deployed, equipped with at least four DShK heavy machine guns and an unknown number of RPGs. Also, look at this residential area in the west of the town. Our signal intelligence indicates that the volume of radio communication here has surged by 500% over the past seventy-two hours! They're mobilizing troops, strengthening fortifications! This isn't a last-minute scramble; it's planned and systematic defensive reinforcement!"
Harrison leaned in and said: "Not only that, Colonel, our integrated intelligence analysis shows that the estimated number of 1515 militants inside Hulmatu has conservatively exceeded six thousand. This doesn't even account for the civilians caught in the crossfire. Furthermore, we've identified some new movements."
"Speak!"
Kote looked at his deputy with interest.
"Just last night, at least two sizable convoys, under cover of darkness, traveled along rural roads from Ozham to Hulmatu."
Harrison brought up another set of nighttime infrared images, blurry but distinguishable outlines of the convoy.
"Intelligence analysts believe this is most likely a mobile force deliberately pulled from our pressure front line at Ozham by the 1515. Estimated numbers range from 1,500 to 2,000. Moreover, judging by their vehicle types and marching discipline, it's likely their elite troops, like the so-called 'Black Flag Group.'"
"Ozham..."
A smile appeared on Kote's face.
It's clear that Song Heping successfully attracted the attention of the 1515 militants.
After all, in the eyes of 1515, Song Heping is the biggest threat, and those government armies and Kurds are not taken seriously by those madmen.
In this way, the pressure from Ozham's direction is expected to reduce significantly, preventing the trapped main forces of the Kurd Armed from facing annihilation.
Now thinking about that 1 billion dollar contract...
It seems quite worthwhile...
From the intelligence from various parties now, it turns out Buckdadi has pulled troops back to reinforce Hulmatu from the direction of Ozham. This shows their emphasis on Hulmatu, preferring to take risks in Ozham to concentrate superior forces in Hulmatu and eliminate Song Heping!
"Six thousand! Plus these two thousand fresh troops from Ozham, that makes eight thousand or even more!"
Kote almost gritted his teeth as he spat out this number.
"And they're not the kind of rabble that crumbles at the first touch. Among them are elite troops transferred from Mosul, Raqqa, and the Black Flag Group from Ozham, all of which are Buckdadi's precious forces! Over the past few days, they've caught a breather, replenished their ammunition, and built a comprehensive defense system. Now Hulmatu is like a hedgehog bristling with spikes!"
He picked up a laser pointer and directed it at the increasingly isolated blue arrow representing Song Heping on the sand table.
"Song Heping left two thousand people to defend Kirkuk. At most, he has around ten thousand available. To attack an enemy with a perfect defense, close to eight thousand troops, and with a death-defying mindset..."