Badara

[Drax]

PROGRESS  IN AL’BAHARIA
 
MANARA  ALBRAYD SRIA AL-MUSAMI
(IF it’s in the Monsoon, it’s got to be true)
 
Al’Buqiyaa, June 22, 5645: Defense Minister Hakim al-Afdal is overseeing operations in Al’Baharia Muhafaza against the Free State Brigade which has pretty much been operating with impunity since the preceding regime had disintegrated from his headquarters at the Naval Base at the Port of Al’Buqiyaa.  Asked by the Monsoon how the attempt to reincorporate Nashwa in Jumhuriat al-Badara was going, the Defense Minister responded:
 

We have made a  good start. We moved 10 frigates into the harbor and landed two motorized infantry divisions in the city supported by some tanks, helicopters, fighter bombers and subsonic ground support gunships. These forces  proceeded to reoccupy the forts and airfields abandoned some years ago.
 
The Free State Brigade forces fled north along the coast  with very little resistance. We have reintroduced National Police backed by heavily armed Special Security forces (SSF) and Internal Security Unit (ISU) secret police in the city and called on the Muhafaza government to begin operating again independent of the Free State Brigade.
 
Disuyana is a town in the mountains which is the headquarters of the Free State Brigade. Its general modus operandi is for contingents to go from Disuyana to other communities at regular intervals to extort funds from local businesses and wealthy citizens and collect supplies.
 
The city of Misul is south of Al’Buqiyaa in the interior. One battalion of our tanks supported by a squadron of helicopters and followed by two brigades of motorized infantry headed down the road to Misul, where thanks to sophisticated intelligence from Lodamun, we knew a sizeable contingent of the Free State Brigade was collecting “taxes” or “tribute.” Our swift descent on Al’Buqiyaa and the Free State Brigade retreat north left them isolated.
 
Sufficiently isolated that we surrounded them on three sides. It seemed unlikely they would retreat south into Dufazi held territory in Al’Salmania Muhafaza since the Dufazi had no use for non Abadi common criminals who were considerably less well armed than they were.
 
We did not really want to have to take a chance on civilian casualties if shooting our way into Misul was necessary, so we initiated peace talks.  They were interested and we came to mutually agreeable terms.  They could leave with no loot and no weaponry.  Not strictly speaking the usual treatment of gangsters,  but we took Misul without killing innocent bystanders, were able to return a considerable hoard of ill gotten gains to more or less its rightful owners, establish National Police control and start the normal government functions to resume.
 
Thanks again to Lodamun’s intelligence we know where the Free State Brigade still operates.  What the ISU is hearing is they will contract operations to shorter and shorter excursions from Disuyana to extract revenue continuing them as long as feasible.  ISU believes many will then disperse and return to their professions as bouncers, body guards, armed robbers, burglars, and operatives of neighborhood protection rackets.  We shall see.

Defense Minister Hakim al-Afdal