At eleven o'clock at night, in the Colombian jungle near Mani Town.
A watch group had already been dispatched, and Anthony was embroiled in a huddle with five core mbers discussing how to attack the AUC camp.
Less than twenty kiloters from the border, intelligence indicated that there were about ninety ard mbers inside the camp. The batch of weapons and ammunition brought from the port was temporarily piled up in the northwest corner of the camp, covered with waterproof tarps, estimating that soone would co to transport it away in the next few days.
Anthony and his buddies planned to raid the camp tonight, then destroy the weapons and ammunition, and organize a retreat afterward.
This was the ultimate exam.
It looked very simple.
Not difficult at all.
But in practice, it was not so.
The biggest headache for them now was another camp nearby, just ten kiloters away, belonging to the Colombian Army, with a platoon stationed inside.
This Army platoon was actually a border patrol, usually responsible for patrolling the nearby border area.
Because the relationship between the AUC forces and the governnt army was ambiguous, they both turned a blind eye to each other, pretending not to see each other.
But should either side be attacked by ELN or FARC forces, they would cooperate and reinforce each other.
This ssy situation was not a fignt of imagination but a conclusion drawn from years of combat experience.
Externally, the governnt army never acknowledged any relationship with AUC forces, after all, the AUC also claid to be an illegal ard group and sotis even declared themselves as anti-governnt ard forces.
However, its nature was that of a typical right-wing organization, upholding the interests of the landowning class, with demands that in many ways aligned with those of the current governnt.
Therefore, locals in Colombia all felt that it was the private army of local tycoons and landowners, supported by these people and cultivated by the governnt army.
"As soon as we start fighting, the governnt army's camp will definitely send reinforcents to the AUC camp. The border troops have a lot of patrol vehicles and strong mobility capabilities. I estimate they could arrive within half an hour," Godwin offered his opinion.
"I think we should use the 'encirclent for reinforcents' tactic our instructor taught us, right here—"
He pointed to a bridge between the AUC and governnt army camps.
The bridge was only ten ters long and the river beneath it just seven or eight ters wide, a small bridge.
"We set an ambush here with a squad, set the explosives, and when their reinforcents co, then we—"
As he spoke, he made an explosive detonation motion with his hands.
The others exchanged glances, had an unspoken agreent through eye contact, and then nodded in unison.
Anthony gave a thumbs up: "Godwin, you've really put what the principal and instructor taught us to good use!"
Godwin, buoyed by the praise from the others, was quite smug, grinning and nodding incessantly, even glancing back at Song Heping and Jiang Feng, who were standing to the side acting as examiners.
"Principal, my plan is not bad, right?"
Song Heping had been listening to their discussion of tactical arrangents all along.
The bridge was indeed a good spot, and it was the necessary route for reinforcents.
By blowing up the bridge, the reinforcents would lose their mobility. If they had to disembark and wade across the river on foot, it would take at least an hour, enough ti for the troops attacking the AUC camp to seize an advantage.
Moreover, a squad could still hold them up, gaining an additional half hour at the very least.
As long as they did not beco mired in combat and retreated promptly, the plan was undoubtedly viable.
These fellas weren't that smart when they first arrived.
It seed that the military command studies, combined arms operations, and strategies like the "Thirty-Six Stratagems" taught in class had been sowhat useful.
Going back to the ELN forces, Morins should be satisfied.
"I won't comnt on your plan; I'm just an examiner. Have you ever seen an examiner give the answers to the candidates?"
His comnt made Godwin sowhat uneasy.
The principal hadn't given a definite answer.
So was their plan viable or not?
The group began to doubt themselves again.
In the end, it was Anthony who was smarter. He reassured Godwin: "If the principal doesn't comnt, that ans it's fine. If we were really making a big mistake, he'd definitely correct it. Relax, Godwin, your plan is viable!"
Out of everyone, Song Heping actually admired Anthony the most.
This guy was smarter than the others, and he had a foundation in formal military training, achieving the best results of these fifty people.
Jiang Feng said, "Old squad leader, look at this bunch of guys, now they all beco sly."
Song Heping said, "Being sly is a good thing. They were originally anti-governnt ard forces, with the nature of a guerrilla. Being sly could help them live longer. Haven't you seen that I've particularly focused on teaching you guerrilla warfare these past two months?"
Just as everyone was finalizing the plan and preparing to start deploynt, a sudden call ca in over the radio.
"Recon team calling the attack squad, respond if you hear this."
"This is the attack squad. Recon team, please speak."
Anthony picked up the radio transceiver.
"There's a problem. A platoon has suddenly shown up at the AUC camp."
"What? Clarify!"
"A platoon has suddenly arrived at the target camp area. We're monitoring them. It seems they are here to transport arms. I saw them checking the equipnt; they've lifted the tarps, and I think they'll be moving it out soon."
The situation changed too suddenly.
Even Song Heping was stunned.
But it also made sense.
Just from seeing the arms in the AUC camp stored openly, it was clear that the weapons were placed there temporarily and would be moved out by soone soon.
It was just unexpected that it would happen so quickly, and just tonight, of all tis.
"What should we do?"
Godwin was taken aback this ti.
"A platoon, along with the original more than half a platoon, makes the chances of a surprise attack too low."
His words made cold sweat appear on everyone else's foreheads.
Originally, a squad of 10 people was responsible for ambushing and blocking the small bridge, buying ti for the 40 remaining n, divided into four squads, to attack the AUC camp.
40 people attacking a camp of more than 90 already seed tough, but with close cooperation, it was doable.
After all, these 50 n were all of decent individual quality, the core mbers of the ELN ard forces.
But now with the addition of a platoon, that ant the enemy strength in the AUC camp had reached a frightening figure of almost two hundred.
From a military science perspective, the attackers were at a disadvantage. Generally, without three tis the forces, you shouldn't even talk about winning an assault.
Even with a surprise attack, such a disparity in forces was a headache. One misstep could an complete annihilation.
Jiang Feng quietly asked Song Heping, "The situation has beco a bit more complicated. If we wait for those people to leave, the arms will also be moved out, making tonight's attack aningless. But if we go ahead with it, the risk is pretty high..."
Song Heping caught the implied aning.
The suggestion was that perhaps Song Heping himself should take to the field to command, and devise an action plan for the trainees.
With Song Heping's level of expertise, he certainly had a way to handle the ergency.
However, Song Heping still seed very indifferent. He raised his voice and said that if they couldn't handle this little ergency, they shouldn't be commanders.
Deliberately raising his voice; it was clearly ant for the other trainees present to hear.
Anthony and a few others could hear the implicit hint behind the headmaster's tone. They were originally planning to ask for help, but now there was no need.
The group fell silent, sitting dumbfounded in front of the map.
Song Heping glanced at his watch and reminded them, "They're probably going to move the arms for just over an hour, so you don't have much ti to waste here. Rember what I ntioned during our military theory classes about the guiding thoughts and principles of decision-making. Make a prompt decision, understand?"
After finishing, he wandered off to one side, casually, directly ignoring these core ELN mbers, not caring about how they would discuss and decide on their tactics.
"What should we do?"
Seeing Song Heping withdraw his involvent, Godwin suddenly lost his nerve and felt a bit panicky.
In the years he'd been with the ELN, he had never fought a battle with such disparity.
Usually, the battles were fought by concentrating superior forces, winning easy fights. Even if outmatched, they would only face the enemy with geographical benefits ensuring ho advantage.
Without superior forces or ho advantage, they rarely chose to initiate combat.
This was one of the opportunities that set civilian military and other ard groups apart from regular armies and Special Forces.
Anthony was also stuck for an answer.
"How should I know what to do? You ask , but who do I ask?"
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