Kalistan

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Archive:  War Dispatches:  Kalistan hit with Rocket Attacks
Chemical Attacks in Kaliburg, Port Swedes and Eshar; Kalistan remains at War
Kaliburg, Grand Duchy of Ananto
August 11, 5612


Early morning poison fires ignite around Lolla and Davon as White phosphorous and chlorine gas break out in Downtown Kaliburg

At approximately 4:17 am yesterday morning, as Kaliburg slept, explosions were heard above the city followed by a fire storm breaking out over downtown Kaliburg.  The attack, which has been to be a chemical attack was part of a coordinated attack which targeted the mostly residential Lolla neighborhood in downtown Kaliburg, along with Port Swedes in Vrassa and Eshar in Odufaray.  The casualties are unknown, but according to authorities, hospitals in all three cities are currently overwhelmed with casualties who are exhibiting severe burns and respiratory distress.  Preliminary estimates suggest that as many as 20,000 people in the Nation's capital, 15,000 in Eshar and perhaps 7500 in Port Swedes may be dead in the attacks, in the largest and most destructive attacks on Kalistan in history.

Reports are preliminary at the moment, as fires continue to burn out of control in all three locations.  It is difficult to attempt to put the fires out, because of the poisonous smoke, which is some mixture of white phosphorus and deadly chlorine gas, as well as the extremely hot and widespread fires associated with the attack.  The attack in Kaliburg was the most widespread as the chemical rained into neighborhoods from air bursts, while reports from both Eshar and Port Swedes suggest that infrastructure related to Kalistan's northern ports was targeted.  The air bursts created a wider spread pattern in the Capital, which has so far created at least six major centers of fire and poison.  Much of the downtown was still completely inaccessible to firefighters as of noon today.

The Local Free City Government has begun widescale triage of Lolla residents, many of whom were still asleep as the overnight attacks rained poisonous death from above.  Evacuation of the affected zones took place throughout most of the day yesterday, as most people have relocated to either other parts of the capital, if they had relatives locally, or headed to the train station to go to other parts of Ananto.  The Empire is on high alert for additional attacks.  

Declassified satellite intelligence released from the Imperial Government suggests that the attacks emanated from Likatonia, who is not known to possess either missile technology, nor a chemical weapons program, which points the finger squarely at Kundrati who has no doubt armed their Seleyan Satellite with the systems needed to fire on Kalistan, likely in revenge for the Artanian Campaign of last summer.  The use of chemical weaponry against Kalistan all but confirms Kundrati's long rumored Chemical Weapons program.

The Royal Family, who resides on the opposite side of Davon Bay at Wilson Hill, was not injured in the attack.  His Imperial Majesty was woke up five minutes before the explosions in Kaliburg to be informed of the first attack in Port Swedes.  He and the Empress Consort and the Minor Princess Mary were rushed to a waiting car and then took a helicopter to an undisclosed location where they are reportedly safe.  An all stations alert was sent out over emergency channels, as well as the cellular phone network warning of additional attacks across the Empire, but the warning did not reach most of the people who were asleep in their homes when the explosions occured in the air over Kaliburg.  

It will be some time before the fires burning in Kaliburg can be extinguished and victims can be located.  Triage reports that those with respiratory distress are the most critical victims, and hundreds who made it to the hospital have already died as doctors have attempted to save them.  The Naval Yards and Logistics Center in Port Swede has been heavily damaged, and there Eshar has experienced casualty rates similar to Kaliburg.

This story is rapidly unfolding.  As more details come in, we will continue to report.

@WarDispatches