North of Sena, Rift Valley Corridor.
The night was as thick as ink, saturating the undulating hills and deep gullies.
The wind whistled through the towering cliffs, emitting eerie sounds. The makeshift command post was set deep in a natural cave, damp and chilly, with the dim light from ergency lamps and electronic screens casting Song Heping's chiseled profile like a stone carving.
The air was filled with the pungent sll of dust, sweat, and cheap tobacco, mixed with the tallic scent of gun oil, ammunition, and the rusty tang of tense nerves.
The radio headset crackled with static, like countless poison snakes hissing in the dark.
"Boss."
Collins' hoarse voice ca through the headset, "We've been waiting for two days. The bait is enough to attract them. Do you think those John Bulls... will really bite? Have they abandoned the operation?"
"They'll definitely co!" Henry's calm voice quickly followed: "London has increased the communication silence level by three, but the frequency of military satellite scans over the Rift Valley Corridor has surged by 270% in the past six hours. It doesn't look like they're giving up; more like... a final confirmation before a predator pounces."
"Who cares if they co or not!"
White Bear's voice was laced with a neurotic excitent, "The 'Welco Carpet' I laid can make them dance a tap all night! Linked mines, jump mines, directional fragnts... Every inch has a 'surprise'!"
"Shut up!" The Queen's steady female voice rang out, "Southwest direction, Lumar's rabble is on the move! Trucks, pickups, and antiquated armored vehicles—dust can be seen from kiloters away! The big show is about to start!"
In the command post, all eyes instantly focused on Song Heping.
On the electronic sand table, red arrows representing Lumar's ard forces awkwardly jabbed from the southwest toward the blue defense zone.
The cold light of the sand table illuminated his deep, unfathomable eyes.
"Did everyone hear that?"
Song Heping picked up the communicator, his voice cutting through the static noise, calm as a frozen lake: "Lumar's beat has sounded."
His fingers jabbed heavily at the entrance of the rift on the sand table.
"The old lady in London is more ruthless and greedy than that old fox Vincent! The Aricans dragging behind will only force her to use a bloody victory to shut everyone's mouth! To prove that the claws of the Great Britain can still tear open the throats of prey!"
He grabbed the main communication microphone, his voice suddenly rising, carrying the power to penetrate rock walls, exploding in the ears of every lurking warrior:
"All units! 'Guests' are on the road! Repeat, 'Guests' are on the road! 'Can Opener' (Sam-6), keep your eyes on the sky! 'Razor' (MiG-23), engine warm-up! 'Hound' (ambush group), fingers off the trigger! Let Vanguard co in! Wait for Lumar's cannon fodder to clear the way, then make your move..."
His voice turned into a harsh roar:
"Follow my command! Seal the pocket! Turn the Rift Valley into a slaughterhouse! Break their backbone! Make the old lady in London weep in the African sun with her shattered imperial dreams! After this battle, I guarantee no one will dare to provoke us in Africa again! Prepare for battle!"
The order activated the dead-silent rift with the force of high-voltage electricity.
The wind carried the clicks of safety catches, the scraping of fingers through hand grenade pins, and the soldiers' heavily suppressed breathing.
The Sam-6 radar screen lit up with ghostly green dots under the camouflage net; at the rear base, the MiG-23 engines issued a low roar from deep within the hangar.
Countless pairs of wolf eyes opened in the dark, locking firmly on the rift entrance.
"Target has entered the pocket, depth two kiloters."
Jiang Feng's voice was as cold as ice.
On the military laptop screen, dense red dots—representing the British SAS troops—advanced skillfully along the dry riverbeds and bushes like deadly vipers, with Lumar's scattered rebels circling like scattered fish.
The drone above had locked firmly onto their movents.
"SAS main force is slightly ahead in the river valley. Air threat erging—from the south, 4 'Typhoon' aircraft at a distance of 70 kiloters, altitude 8,000 ters, high threat level."
Song Heping braced his hands on the table, sweat running down his temples and evaporated.
The command post was deathly silent, only the electronic sounds and heavy breathing could be heard.
The weakest point was their air advantage.
If the air aspect couldn't be intercepted, all rcenary forces and ISIS's governnt army currently surrounding Lumar's six brigades in the northern rift area would suffer heavy blows, and the encirclent would inevitably be breached.
If that happened, once Lumar's armored units broke through the defensive circle into the plains, there would be over 300 kiloters of unobstructed terrain ahead, leaving the Capital Butare defense-less.
By that ti, no matter how brave their few thousand rcenaries were, they wouldn't be able to stop six armored brigades.
Whether they could trap Lumar in the Rift Valley Corridor would be key to this battle's success!
Commanding such a large-scale troop operation was also Song Heping's first ti.
Nervousness was inevitable.
"Ferrari!"
Song Heping's voice was taut as a steel wire, "Sam-6! Power on! Lock the target airspace! Keep your eyes on the 'Typhoon'! Any step over the line or fire control radar scanning, no need to ask, shoot it down for ! Seal the sky!"
"Received! Radar on! Missiles powered! If the 'Typhoon' dares to co, I'll give them a big rocket show!"
Collins' excited roar ca through.
Seconds later, on the independent radar screen, the three groups of Sam-6 search radar beams deployed in different sectors of the rift suddenly lit up, piercing the night sky pointing southeast.
Behind the hills, six triple-mounted Sam-6 launchers humd hydraulically as the massive missiles slowly rotated, ready to launch!
Ten minutes later, as the 4 'Typhoon' jets entered about 20 kiloters from the Rift Valley Corridor, the 'Typhoon' cockpit radar alarms (RWR) scread shrilly!
"Alert! Fire control level scan! Bearing 290! Fire control radar lock! Multiple targets!"
The flight leader's voice was shocked and distorted.
"How do they have so many anti-air missiles?! And so fast?!"
"Evade! Chaff counterasures! Flares released! Lower altitude! Maintain formation!"
The four 'Typhoon' jets tilted sharply and dived, the fuselage and wings ejecting large swaths of silvery chaff clouds and hot infrared flares.
The alarm scread incessantly, each wail striking the heart.
The pilots were forced to abandon their supportive overlooking stance to fully engage with the deathly gaze from the ground.
anwhile on the ground, the silence in the Rift Valley Corridor was completely shattered.
"Ground troops, engage!"
Song Heping's roar exploded like thunder!
In a flash, the high lands on both sides of the valley erupted into a frenzy of destruction!
The left-wing highlands, with White Bear wielding a DShK heavy machine gun, spewed half-ter flas, the 12.7mm bullets sweeping like Grim Reaper's scythe toward the juncture of SAS and the rebels!
Bodies ripped like rag dolls, bushes and rocks flying apart!
Several RPG-7 rockets screeched with a trail of flas, slamming into the front-line tanks of the rebel advance force!
Boom!
Boom!
Boom!
A fireball shot into the sky as the turret of a T-55 was blown away, the tracks snapped, and a fierce fire ignited!
Scraps of tal and limbs of debris scattered everywhere! The rebels scread in terror, and their formation fell into chaos.
On the right flank, Hunter's death trap was ruthlessly triggered!
The rebel reconnaissance team climbing the high ground suddenly stepped into thin air, a sharp stake pit swallowed one, and shrieks arose!
Another tripped a wire, and a trap mine in the crevice of the rocks exploded with a bang, a steel rain of prefabricated shrapnel swept across! The two prone were engulfed by the storm, convulsing violently!
Further out, an anti-personnel directional bomb was triggered by retreating soldiers, and with a dull explosion, hundreds of steel balls swept in a 60-degree fan shape, instantly turning over a dozen rebels at the narrow edge of the ravine into sieves, their wails piercing!
"Snipers suppress the high ground on the right! Team C, form a circular defense! Call for air support! Quick!"
At the bottom of the ravine, the SAS captain scread from inside an armored vehicle, trying to organize resistance.
The well-trained SAS soldiers used the large rocks in the riverbed recesses as cover, firing precision shots in response.
But above was a crossfire death rain, ahead were trap mines, and around them were fleeing soldiers—it was a deadly squeeze!
Each ti soone looked up, there were significant casualties!
"Dagger 1 calling! We're under heavy fire ambush! Mid-section of the ravine! Enemy fire is fierce, the terrain unfavorable! Heavy casualties! Ergency air support! Coordinates..."
The captain's frenzied calls were drowned in gunfire and screams, destined to disappear without a trace.
Those 4 "Typhoons" were locked down by SAM-6s a dozen kiloters away, struggling on their own.
The Mig-23 pair piloted by Vasily arrived as promised, the firestorm of S-24 rockets hamring down like the Hamrs of Hell, instantly obliterating the resistance core organized by the SAS and the armored spearhead of Lumar's vanguard.
Midway through the valley turned into a hell of churning flas, smoke blocking the sun—the surviving SAS soldiers and the completely collapsed Lumar rebels mixed together, fleeing desperately, trampling one another in the narrow death valley.
"Well done! Vasily! Return to base!"
Song Heping's order ca with high praise.
"Received! Mission complete! Don't you think the old girl danced beautifully? Ha..."
Suddenly, Vasily's rough laughter halted abruptly in the radio.
Then ca a distorted scream of terror: "Missile! Damn! Left flank down—!"
Boom!!!
The dull and intense explosion, accompanied by a piercing electric noise, assaulted everyone's eardrums in the command post!
"Vasily! Report your status!"
Song Heping shouted fiercely, his knuckles white from clenching.
After several seconds of dead silence, the wingman's fearful, tearful voice ca haltingly, "Lead plane... hit! Infrared missile... from the ground! Fireball... crash! Southwest of the ravine... Area Three..."
The command post was abruptly plunged into an icy silence.
On the computer screen, the signal light representing Vasily disappeared.
"Stinger! It's 'Stinger'!"
Ferrari roared in fury and frustration, "Damn it! It must be SAS bringing shoulder-launched anti-aircraft missiles!"
Song Heping closed his eyes and took a deep breath, suppressing his emotions.
This isn't the ti for sorrow; in war, death is inevitable.
"Rescue team! Move out imdiately! Find them alive, bring back the bodies if not! Hunter, take your n and clear all remaining threats in that area! Leave none alive!"
Orders were swiftly issued, but the joy of victory was overshadowed by a heavy shadow.
The SAS indeed lives up to its reputation as a top special forces unit, able to steady their troops and organize effective resistance even under sudden attack.
They indeed shouldn't be underestimated.
More severe is that Lumar's main forces haven't completely disintegrated due to the vanguard's collapse.
In chaos, several of Lumar's main chanized battalions, not heavily damaged, were forcibly integrated and real-ti guided by SAS teams with advanced communications and observation equipnt, starting to organize a fierce counterattack!
"Hound B3 calling Wolf's Den! Lumar's armored group! At least a battalion of T-55s and BMP-1s! Advancing rapidly on the western road along the river valley! Less than three kiloters from my forward position! They've got strong artillery support! Repeat, artillery support is exceptionally precise!"
The voice from the forward observation post was filled with urgency, the background noise a deafening explosion.
In the command post, the electronic sand table showed the thick red arrow representing Lumar's counterattack forces fiercely crashing into the flank defense line of Song Heping's troops.
What was more alarming was that on the computer screen, the blue light points representing our defense nodes were blinking out visibly!
Boom!
Boom!
Rumble——
Intense shelling covered the high ground on the left flank! The explosions were eerily precise, nearly all hitting the preset machine gun positions, mortar emplacents, and anti-tank teams' hiding spots!
The power of the 155mm howitzers shattered the rocks, ripping through the fortifications as if they were made of paper!
White Bear's DShK heavy machine gun position bore the brunt, the fierce blast and shrapnel throwing the gunner up, the heavy machine gun twisting into a scrap heap!
"Wolf's Den! This is the high ground on the left flank! We're under heavy shelling! Coordinates... correction... damn! It's like the shells have eyes! Heavy losses! More than half of our heavy weapons are destroyed! Requesting suppression! Requesting suppression!"
White Bear's voice, interrupted by explosions and coughing, was filled with anger and disbelief.
"Sa here on the right flank! Mortar positions overrun! Over half of the anti-tank team lost! Their artillery is synchronized with the armored assault, we're barely holding!"
From the right flank, Hunter's plea for help also ca through.
Song Heping's face was ashen.
This wasn't Lumar's ragtag artillery achieving this!
It was the SAS!
Those Special Forces pests, using individual laser designators and advanced communication equipnt, were transmitting real-ti target information to the rear via satellite data link, guiding Lumar's hidden heavy artillery groups to conduct surgical precision strikes!
Lumar's six brigades at this mont were not just the six brigades visible—there was also the powerful British Army providing intelligence and data support in various ways!
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