Kanjor

[Drax]

CLAIRON PICARD
 
ALDURIA WAR UPDATE

Defense Ministry, June 17, 5605:   CLAIRON PICARD sources in the Defense Ministry report that more divisions have been sent to Alduria as part of the Alduria Expeditionary Force.
 
Among the new ones are three motorized infantry divisions now constituting AEF’s 4th Corps which moved north of the capital where it began engaging light opposition in dug in defensive positions.
 
On the eastern and southern sides of the capital, two wings of multirole fighter bombers began bombing and firing air to ground missiles into the defensive positions of the terrorist militia.  Simultaneously the 1st Corps and 2nd Corps began an artillery bombardment with its self propelled howitzers, mortars and newly added FE Schnellreparaturraketen multiple rocket launcher systems. The defenders did return fire with some howitzers, mortars, machine guns and rocket launchers they had acquired from abroad or military depots.
 
As the battle began, many residents of the capital escaped the city moving either west or northwest the latter with a view to reaching Kanjorean lines and passage to liberated areas.
 
In the north, after exchanging fire briefly with the 4th Corps, the defending terrorist militia withdrew in good order abandoning its defending positions and fell back into the Capital city.
 
To the east and south, the defenders’ heavier weaponry was being silenced and casualties were becoming heavy, and so they began a withdrawal.  1st and 2nd Corps leadership expected they were withdrawing to a second line of prepared defenses, but they did  not and continued on into the Capital itself.  As a result, the pursuit was not as effective as it might have been. Although the howitzers and heavier mortars and some prisoners were taken, quite a few defenders escaped to the Capital with machine guns and some shoulder mounted rocketry and grenade launchers.  It is believed a good deal of the terrorist leadership is now with the defenders in the Capital together with some terrorist units which were going about their usual business of murdering the civilian population rather than engaged in city defense.
 
Which presents a dilemma to the AEF. The Capital could easily be reduced to rubble with bombs, air to ground missiles, FE Schnellreparaturraketen multiple rocket launcher systems fire, self  propelled howitzers and mortars.  But a number of Aldurian citizens who are not terrorists did not escape so this course would be a massacre of innocent victims.
 
Similarly, the Capital could be bypassed and starved by a siege. But the same problem as an all out bombardment is present, innocent Aldurian citizens.
 
It is likely then that a house to house, street by street assault will accordingly be necessary. To date no attempt by the terrorist leadership to contact the AEF to negotiate has occurred.  For the moment, 1st Corps including the Aldurian Military Contingent and 4th Corps are surrounding the Capital and besieging it. 
 
One mechanized division from 1st Corps and from 2nd Corps together with our newly arrived remaining armored division have been formed into 3rd Corps which has joined 2nd Corps and the 5th Corps formed from three newly arrived motorized infantry divisions in a broad front advance into Aldurian territory west of La Vallee. La Vallee is now entirely in our hands except for the besieged Capital City.  Two additional wings of multirole fighter bombers have been assigned to AEF for air cover and ground support for this advance.
 
The expectation is Mordusia will make a coastal landing and the remaining terrorist militia will be sandwiched between Mordusian and Kanjorean forces.