Northwest outskirts of Hulmatu, Tuz Valley.
The terrain here is not particularly steep, but on both sides are hills ford by weathered stones and sand, crafted by nature over centuries.
For soldiers, encountering such terrain while serving as the vanguard team for a large force is most dreaded.
Joseph, captain of the rcenary battalion's recon team, was currently seated inside the sultry cabin of the BMP-1 infantry fighting vehicle.
His hands, gripping the periscope control stick, were slick with cold sweat.
Through the limited, slightly distorted field of vision, he carefully scanned the outside world that was deathly silent, suffocatingly so.
Too quiet...
So quiet it's abnormal...
"Boss... This goddamn place... there's sothing wrong…"
A slightly tense voice ca through the headset from the observer on the vanguard pickup truck ahead.
"It's too quiet... can't even see a damn bird... it's making my skin crawl..."
Joseph instinctively licked his parched, cracked lips, the salty sweat imdiately seeping into his taste buds.
He lowered his head again, his gaze fixed on the tactical tablet screen—updated thirty minutes ago, it was showing what the Baghdad US Army Intelligence Center had marked as "real-ti updates," with clear green "safe" labels covering the entire Tuz Valley area.
This "authoritative" judgnt, coming from the "Global Hawk" drone or so cold reconnaissance satellite, indicated that everything here was normal.
"Remain vigilant... all vehicles slow down by half again and maintain maximum distance!"
Joseph forcefully pressed the throat microphone, trying to keep his voice steady, desperately suppressing the growing unease in his heart.
"Command, this is 'Ranger 1-1,' repeating the request for detailed low-altitude drone scanning of the cliffs on both sides of the canyon! My instincts tell , sothing's not right here, very not right!"
The response from the rear command ca swiftly: "'Ranger 1-1,' received. Repeat your request. But currently, our small drone fleet is prioritizing wide-area surveillance on the suspected command node southeast of Hulmatu.
We have requested the Joint Command Headquarters to confirm again, their high-altitude strategic reconnaissance platform is continuously monitoring this area, ensuring there's no sign of enemy large-scale troop movents.
They have determined the area is safe, advised to proceed as planned, over."
"Damn those high-altitude platforms! To hell with strategic reconnaissance! Can they see snipers in the shadows of rocks from thousands of feet high? Can they sll the stench of ambushers?!"
Joseph nearly roared into the microphone but ultimately only squeezed out a few muttered curses through gritted teeth, swallowing back the raging fire and fear inside him.
"Attention all vehicles! Maximum alert level! Check weapons, rounds chambered! Machine gunners, keep those eyes wide open, closely scan both sides' high points, rock crevices, and any possibly suspicious reflections! Open fire imdiately upon any anomaly, no warning necessary!"
The order was like a stone thrown into still water, stirring a slight ripple.
The convoy slowed down, the machine gunners on the vehicle tops with fingers poised on cold triggers, repeatedly scanning the jagged cliffs above, as if every dark corner might spit out deadly flas in the next second.
However, the arrival of death was far swifter and more brutal than any warning.
Just as the leading heavily ard pickup truck awkwardly maneuvered around a giant rock standing in the middle of the Sand Valley—
Whoosh—
Boom!!!
A dazzling flash of light suddenly burst from a crevice midway up the left slope, perfectly camouflaged by natural rocks and camouflage net!
An RPG-7 rocket, trailing a trail of white smoke of death, with an almost straight trajectory, impressively precise, fiercely plunged into the pickup's vulnerable engine compartnt!
Boom!!!
The deafening explosion instantly shattered the stagnant silence in the valley!
A massive fireball soared into the sky, the scorching shockwave crazily pushed outward, embedding countless searing tal fragnts, tire debris, and human remains, sporadically shot in all directions!
The pickup seed to be smashed by an invisible giant hand, disintegrating into a field of burning wreckage, the occupants inside perished instantly due to the high temperature and explosion, without so much as a short scream.
"Enemy attack! Left cliff! Nine o'clock position! Find cover! Open fire freely! Open fire freely!!"
Joseph's shout had completely changed tone, simultaneously transmitted through the radio across the entire convoy and back to the rear command post.
The two surviving pickup trucks and the BMP-1 that Joseph was in let out a desperate roar from their engines, the drivers desperately steering towards the giant rocks by the riverbed, seeking cover.
The vehicle-mounted PKM general-purpose machine guns and DShK heavy machine guns began to bellow madly, dense rain bullets pouring towards the direction from where the rocket was fired, hitting the hard rock walls, splattering stone dust and debris, trying to suppress the lethal source with firepower.
But this was rely the beginning of the ambush battle.
Almost at the sa instant as the echoes of the first explosion had not yet dissipated.
Thud-thud-thud-thud-thud—
Thud-thud-thud—
Heavy autocannon firing sounds echoed from the other end of the canyon!
The second ard pickup truck imdiately sprouted several large bullet holes, blood spraying out from the windows…
"It's a 30mm autocannon! We're in a pincer attack! It's over!"
Inside the BMP-1, the young commander's voice was filled with uncontrollable fear and despair, almost breaking.
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