Chapter 1617 - 1296: Tacit "Understanding

Deep into the night after the first day of the "Balance Beam" operation, inside the 1515 underground command center in Eastern Syria.

The top leader of the Iligo War Zone, Omar, had just finished another tense call with Ahmed, the frontline commander in Tetric.

Due to the frenzied bombings and attacks by the US Army's air power, the defense lines formed by the 1515 suffered heavier losses than expected. However, they barely held the first wave, shot down a Black Hawk, and damaged an Apache Attack Helicopter, which somewhat boosted morale.

But the heavy anti-tank weapons and more anti-aircraft missiles he requested were still in short supply.

"How's the Anbar passage?" he asked the coordinating leader.

"The first batch should already be on the way, taking the old route south of Mosul. Our people there bribed an officer at one of the checkpoints. He took a 'gift,' promising an eight-hour window. But afterwards..."

Omar rubbed his aching temples.

This supply line, based on bribes, is fragile and unreliable.

He must make the headquarters, the higher-ups understand the importance of Tetric and allocate more resources.

He needed to contact the "Caliph" directly.

This thought made him both awed and nervous.

Ibrahim Awad al-Badri al-Samarrai, more widely known as Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, the self-proclaimed "Caliph" of the 1515 Armed, to most mid-and-lower-level commanders, he is a mysterious and distant spiritual symbol rather than a daily military commander.

But the "Northern Battle Zone," where Omar is located, holds a special status. He has channels for direct reporting in emergencies.

After layers of encryption and transfer, nearly an hour later, a calm, deep, somewhat hoarse voice came through Omar's satellite phone.

No unnecessary pleasantries.

"Report the situation in Tetric concisely."

Omar took a deep breath and described the battle situation in the most concise language.

The US-led Alliance Army is pressing from the front, airborne incursions at the flanks were thwarted but the threat remains, own losses are significant but morale is usable, the key lies in supply and sustained manpower, especially weapons to counter the US Army's air superiority.

There was a moment of silence on the other end.

Then Baghdadi's voice sounded again, with an indisputable authority:

"Tetric must become the graveyard of the Crusaders. It is not just a city, it is a banner, a proof. Exhaust them, stall them, let the world see their incompetence and our resolve."

"I understand, Caliph. But our supply lines, especially the passage from Anbar through Mosul..."

"The passage will be unobstructed."

Baghdadi interrupted him: "Continue dispatching fighters, transporting weapons. Use every means. If necessary, you may use hidden reserves, mobilize all believers who can wield weapons. Victory belongs to the steadfast and the devout."

The call ended.

Omar put down the phone, feeling a surge of excitement, but also a trace of vague unease.

The Caliph said "the passage will be unobstructed," so certain as if he had foreseen it.

Is it confidence in coercing and bribing someone like Samir?

Or...

Is there a deeper reason?

He shook his head, dispelling stray thoughts.

The Caliph's will is an order.

He turned and issued a series of more aggressive instructions to the leaders waiting behind him—

Accelerate mobilization, expand recruitment, inventory and deliver all stocked heavy weapons to the frontline, bring out the good stuff kept in reserve, especially those hard-to-part-with Russian-made Konkurs anti-tank missiles and the few "Igla" anti-aircraft missiles.

The flames of Tetric's battle will burn more fiercely because of a word from far beneath Raqqa.

The next day, the outskirts of Tetric.

Colonel Kote was forced to change his attack strategy.

The cost of frontal assault and flank sorties was too high, so he switched to a "strangulation" tactic: utilizing absolute air superiority and artillery to conduct continuous, high-precision strikes on identified 1515 Armed positions, gathering points, and supply routes in the outskirts of Tetric City.

Meanwhile, ground forces shifted to defense, consolidating gained positions, with Kurd Armed bearing the brunt, while elite squads from Thunder Defense were responsible for hunting and counter-harassment.

The skies were hardly ever calm.

F-16s roared past, dropping precision-guided bombs, turning buildings suspected to be strongholds into rubble.

A-10 "Warthog" attack aircraft, with terrifying loiter time and the formidable 30mm GAU-8 cannon, swept through any vehicles and crowds in open areas.

Apache Armed Helicopters, like patient Falcons, hovered at the edge of anti-air threats, targeting high-value targets with "Hellfire" missiles.

From the air, the Alliance Army seemed to hold overwhelming advantage.

New columns of smoke continuously rose from the city outskirts, greatly suppressing the open activities of the 1515 Armed.

But on the ground, it was a different view.

The positions of the Kurd Armed forces endured tremendous psychological pressure.

They, unlike the regular army, lacked resilient discipline and the will for sustained combat.

The 1515 Armed employed classic "stickiness" tactics, refusing to engage in open battle formations, instead utilizing the urban ruins, tunnel networks, and complex streets to conduct endless harassment.

Two days into the battle, the sporadic shots and explosions in Tetric never ceased.

Snipers specifically targeted officers, radio operators, and machine gunners.

Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs) were cleverly placed at ruin entrances, road corners, and even under bodies.

Small groups of militants infiltrated under the cover of night or sandstorms, launching brief assaults, then disappearing swiftly into the rubble.