Insurgency in Ancora

Insurgency in Ancora
Areas held by rebel insurgents at the start of the conflict
Date V.1713 AN- Location  Aerla
Belligerents
Aerla	Karnali insurgents
Commanders and leaders
Henry Cassian Allen McMahon William Alfe	Kalyan Sinjali Narendra Khanal
Units involved
Aerla Grand Army of Aerla 2nd Home Army Citizen's Militias State Security Directorate	Guerilla and Partisan Forces
Strength
22,000	Unknown

The Insurgency in Ancora is an armed conflict in the Aerlan municipality of Ancora. The conflict broke out after sporadic riots and violence in the region by the ethnic Karnali minority.

Background

The Karnali have inhabited the lands of Aerla since ancient times. After many centuries of internal migration, most remaining Karnali settled within what are now the northern municipalities, with the bulk of them settling in the Ancora Municipality. During the unification of Aerla, a vocal minority of ethnic Karnali opposed the annexation of their lands into the young republic. However, due to the lack of unity of their settlements, they were powerless to stop their incorporation.

In late 1712 AN, two local leaders named Kalyan Sinjali and Narendra Khanal called for a meeting of ethnic Karnalis who wished to break away from Aerla and form a new Karnali state. Original plans consisted of calling for a mass exodus of Karnali to The Green to form a new state, however the group came to the conclusion that such state would simply be ran over by the Aerlan military, as such plans would not be backed by the general populace. Such, they declared that they would call for a general uprising of Karnali who wished to take up arms against the Aerlan Government.

Beginning of Violence

Seeming coordinated riots soon began in major population centers in the Ancora, the most deadly of these being in which a detail of Criminal Police officers where stabbed and beaten to death in their precinct in Bethanyville. The governments first response to these incidents were light, and more police and some militia forces were sent to the region. By this point, however, the banner of the ancient Karnali state were raised in many areas of the municipality, and guerillas soon began gathering arms and began advancing on population centers. They quickly took over the towns of Bethanyville and Elkridge, and began batlling local citizen militias in the towns of Malks and Waluda. With the prospect of more towns falling to the enemy, the 2nd Army of the Grand Army of Aerla was mobilized and sent north via train.

Initial Battles

GAR soldiers rest on the side of a ruined house in Malks.

The first divisions to arrive in Ancora set up defensive positions in Ancora Town and Emerson, and were able to stave off attacks by guerillas. Other divisions set off the reinforce the Civilian Militias in Waluda and Malke. The fighting in Waluda was noted for being especially fierce, as the guerillas had entrenched themselves in numerous positions in and around the town. Causalities were heavy on both sides, and reports soon flooded in of Aerlan soldiers laying down their arms and fleeing the battlefield en masse.

After several days of fighting, Karnali forces were successfully repelled from the town of Malks and driven several kilometers into the surrounding countryside. Attacks on Emerson, Avery, and Ancora Town were also successfully repelled. In response of this, several car bombings were orchestrated by insurgent forces in Malks and in the town of Dalen.

Operation Sabretooth

After consideration by those in the GAR's high command, it was decided that a swift capture of all major Karnali bases of power was necessary. This would be done in conjunction with SSD agents, who would infiltrate the ranks of the insurgency, and undermine their response. The operation would consist of a three-pronged attack: Brigadier-General Aaron Kamensky would lead an army to capture Bethanyville, after which his forces would recapture insurgent territory on their way link up with Major-General Charles Escher in capturing Elkridge. Then, this combined force would march their way through the countryside on their way to aid in the capture of Waluda, which would be under siege by General Terrance Gerhardt.