Insurgency in Ancora

Insurgency in Ancora
Areas held by rebel insurgents at the start of the conflict
Date V.1713 AN- I.1714 AN Location  Aerla Status Suppressed
Belligerents
Aerla	Karnali insurgents
Commanders and leaders
Henry Cassian Allen McMahon Aaron Kamensky Charles Escher Terrance Gerhardt William Alfe	Kalyan Sinjali Narendra Khanal ♰
Units involved
Grand Army of Aerla 2nd Army Citizen's Militias State Security Directorate	Guerrilla 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 guerrillas 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 guerrillas. Other divisions set off the reinforce the Civilian Militias in Waluda and Malks. The fighting in Waluda was noted for being especially fierce, as the guerrillas 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: Generalmæjor Aaron Kamensky would lead an army to capture Bethanyville, after which his forces would recapture insurgent territory on their way link up with Generalmæjor 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-ovð-ArtilerëTerrance Gerhardt.

• Attack against Bethanyville successful, captured in 1 weeks time
• Prolonged battle in Elkridge, Karnali insurgents but on backfoot by Kamensky's arrival
• Narendra Khanal's "staff car" blown up by SSD agents on Elkridge-Waluda road, Khanal killed
• Several massacres take place on march to Waluda
• Combined Kamensky-Escher forces arrive to relieve siege at Waluda
• Tabun gas used en-masse against Waluda's defenders
• Waluda captured, Kalyan Sinjali surrenders

Aftermath

A sketch of the village of Lederman, just west of Waluda, after Operation Sabretooth.

The GAR's response to the insurgency was heavily scrutinized by the general public and the Aerlan Government. Many officers within the army were demoted and stripped of their honors. Cassian himself received much criticism from those in the government and army for a supposed lack of involvement in the early stages of the conflict. He was blamed by many for causing the conflict to go from a simple "peasant rebellion" into a full insurgency.

Most of those who fought against the Aerlan government were given amnesty by the nation's courts. Higher profile individuals were tried on a case by case basis. The highest ranking member put on trial was the leader of the insurgency himself, Kalyan Sinjali. Sinjali was sentenced to death, and he was executed by a firing squad. In accordance with his family's wishes and his will, his ashes were scattered in the Northern Mountains.

Over the coming decade, the Karnali population of Aerla would go on to steadily decrease. By 1723 AN, it was estimated only around 8,000 Karnali remained within the Republic’s border. The Ancora Municipality is sighted as the poorest municipality in Aerla with the Waluda Parish, heavily depopulated from the GAR's nerve gas attacks, is the poorest parish in the nation.