NationStates Jolt Archive

The 3rd Mobile Army of Africa began mobilizing. Orders came in for immediate deployment to Yemen. Already 18,000 Marines were onboard the 2nd RAEF Feet, and the 6th Carrier Battle Group Fleet. Several squadrons of fighters, and bombers began preparing for pre-invasion bombing runs, consisting of anti-radiation missiles, cruise missiles, and JDAM guided bombs. Forty-five thousand para soldiers of the 3rd Mobile began preparing for a series of air drops, and helicopter insertions into the barren nation. Light tanks, artillery, and armoured fighting vehicles were beging crammed into a massive fleet of C-130H Hercules, C-5 Galaxy's, and C-17 GlobeMasters. Submarines were deployed to the waters outside of Yemen to clear of any obstructions or mines that might interfere with the fleet's movement.

Intelligence had shown that several warlord's had taken control of Yemen as a result of the government's collapse. A total of thirteen powerful warlords, and fifteen lesser warlords control the nation. Each warlord averaged an army of 8,000 militia men; this estimate of course varies. The most powerful warlords can have a militia army greater than 20,000, including 60's era equipment. For very good reasons the military wasn't underestimating the strength of these warlords.

Also deploying to Yemen was the 11th Imperial Armoured Division. This elite unit was issued the same advanced equipment as other armoured divisions, except this units have been designated "veteran" status and have superior training. This unit was issued the job of clearing any heavily fortified city, or destroy any target of high importance. With the intelligence report given the only well armed unit in Yemen that could inflict any sort of signifcant casualties was a 8,000 man brigade consisting of 80 M60A3 tanks, and 110 M113 APCs. At most estimations indicated that 45 soldiers may be killed, and 110 more wounded.

With the naval missiles, and aircraft now in range of Yemen the preliminary bombardment began. On the order of General Eric Slaven thousands of missiles erupted into the air, seeking out their targets. The missiles were destined for military headquarters, bunkers, military bases, large weapon storage areas, and any sort of fixed military defensive structure. For the most part the missiles successfully impacted their intended targets; an estimated 8,000 militia fighters were killed, and twenty "high value" targets were killed.

With news of the SAM and AAA sites down the order came in for precision ariel attacks. Due to nearly the complete destruction of Yemen's anti-air capability less capable bombers, and fighter-bombers were sent out to begin the bombardment. Twenty-four B-2 Spirit bombers, and 12 B-1B Lancer bombers set off for Yemen, each loaded with dozens of 2,000lb guided munitions.

Onboard the Jericho Amphibious Assualt Ship Fearless Major Daniel Sutter and his team began gathering their equipment together. His S.D.S.S. (Special Demolition Service Squad) would be one of the first Ninjanian personnel inserted into hostile Yemen. Two SH-60 LAMPS MKIII helicopters set off towards the looming dark moon. Sutter quietly watches his men as they stare into the deep ocean below. Glancing to his right he sees the second helicopter, flying close by.

The helicopters neared their insertion point; the beach of Al Burayqah. Intelligence had shown that a majority of miltia had been moved to nearby Aden, leaving Al Burayqah open for insertion. After insertion the team would stay in Al Burayqah for only four to five hours before they must begin their move to Aden. In Aden they will provide aircraft and intelligence with valuable information about the miltia's plans.

Similar insertion landings by S.D.S.S. and M.R.S. (Marine Recon Service) were made in Bir Ali, Ash Shihr, Mukha, and Midi. In total some 110 military special forces were sent into Yemen in one day's time.

Major Sutter quickly got a count of his men; all were accounted for. He took a glance from the window of the old beachside house. It was roughly 100 meters to the road, and it seemed like no one had seem them. He signaled his men to begin advancing through the sand. The men slowly crawled across the sand, always checking ahead to make sure they were still clear. Finally after sometime in the sand they reached the road. Sutter looked at his map again, if they moved North on the road they would reach the main road, which would lead to Aden. He looked up from his map and looked around at his surroundings. A tall building loomed across from the Main Road. Which he declared would be the location of the marksmen. Signaling foward the men followed in two seperate lines. The militia barrack was on the way to the Main Road. The Major figured he would stop by and leave a couple "gifts" for them.

As they approached the barrack they found two sleeping guards sitting on chairs at the front door. The soldiers approached them carefully, and slit their throats. The guards were thrown to the side of the road as the demolition experts came to prepare the charges. Three High Explosive charges, and one Fragmentation charge was rolled into the barracks. The squad quickly jogged down the road. Once they reached the intersection with the Main Road they detonated the charges. A massive fireball erupted and smoke rose into the sky. The squad then immediately breached the building the Major wanted his marksmen in. The building was the home of a wealthy firearms merchant. As they cleared each room they enterred the master bedroom. The man awakened and immediately went for the automatic pistol under his pillow. Several shots were placed in his chest, and he fell.

Soon the building was cleared and the soldiers rested. Marksmen were placed on the high tower, and the soldiers were rotated into watch duty. With the destruction of the militia's barracks there was no direct link to the militia's headquarters. But to ensure that no one tried to inform the authorities the telephone lines were disconnected. Now Al Burayqah could be used as a launching point for the Ninjanian invasion. With everyone set the major radioed into command,

"Command this is Task Force Delta-01. Objective 1 is cleared. Proper measures have been taken to ensure we are not compromised. Advise backup ASAP."

"Good job Task Force Delta-01. Backup is to arrive tomorrow at 0230. Advise you move to Objective 2."

"Acknowledged Command. Task Force Delta-01 Out."

The Major checked his watch as he ended his transmission. The men were to move out in two hours. He guessed the main invasion would occur tomorrow at 0300. The two free hours the major had he decided to spend it on reviewing his map and the insertion plan they had been given on the Fearless. Thus far all had been going smoothly.

With the continious routine bombardment by naval and ariel units the military of Yemen was struck a severe blow. The order to begin landing operations soon commenced. Three landing zones were given, the beaches of Qishn, Al Ghadir and As Salif. Two brigades of 3,000 each would land on each beach, giving the military several directions in which to approach Sana'A, the capital. The marines would take the beach without a fight. The miltia hoped to turn the war into a massive urban battle, slowly bleeding the Ninjanian invaders. Military command however would try their best to avoid that situation.

With secured beaches along the coast the marines prepared to slowly move out. A brigade from As Salif moved south towards Al Hudaydah. The brigade encountered still resistance on the outskirts of the city. Dozens of RPG's were hurled towards the marine's combat vehicles. Luckily the strengthened armour protected them from the obselete RPG-7s. A fierce battle erupted outside the city. Militia hiding in buildings set off bombs on the roads, and along the tree lines. This resulted in the first casualities. Twelve were killed and twenty more injured by the explosives. The response to this however was swift. TM-38A1 Gladius Tanks, TM-71A1 Pilia IFVs, SLV-73A Assualt Vehicles, and M777 towed artillery began pounding the city. The SLV-73's gatling gun rained terror, absolutely annihilating entire buildings with thousands of bullets. The Gladius' main gun killed scores of fleeing miltia, trying to escape the attack. With the militia fleeing from the marines, a company of 120 marines set on Stryker LAVs on hot pursuit. The tanks were too large for the town's roads so the tanks were split into groups which surrounded the city.

During the pursuit the Stryker team lost track of the miltia, and before they knew it they were ambushed by hundreds of miltia, both on foot and on trucks. Within minutes the half of the Strykers were knocked out, seven in total. Thankfully most marines were able to escape their vehicles, partly due to the Stryker's high survivability. The marines secured several houses along the road and began returning fire towards the miltia. The remaining Strykers on the ground released their marine contingent and the crew continued the fight. VTA-68 Lancet helicopters were called in to provide ariel assistance as the battle raged. Within ten more minutes of fighting all of the Strykers would have been knocked out, resulting in seven deaths and eleven injuries. Five more marines had died due to the firefight with the militia.

A convoy of armoured humvees attempting to relieve the stryker company was ambushed on their way. The militia soldiers that attack were ill-equipped to fight the armoured humvees. The soldiers disembarked their humvees as the machine gun crews of the humvees sprayed cover fire. With marines on the ground the relief group was now ready to annihilate the ambushers. Marines bursted through the homes of where the ambushers were occupying. They searched each room and shot anyone armed with a rifle. Within several more minutes thirty bodies were accounted for. Only two marines were killed and seven more injured.

The situation was looking better for the Stryker company. A relief group was nearby and the enemy was running low on RPGs. Suddenly a series of explosions shook the ground. The men began cheering as four Lancet helicopters seen in the distance released dozens of missiles into the enemies position. Within minutes the ambushers were on the run, but it was impossible to evade the Lancet with it's IR guiding system. The marines cleaned up the job as the helicopters returned to base. A total of 21 soldiers were killed and 38 more injured. Despite the high cost of casualties the enemy had suffered much worst. A final count of 112 militia were killed, and 38 were captured.

The fighting on the coast was all to easy for the landing Ninjanian marines. In a matter of days key along the coast were taken with little or no casualties. Cities such as Aden, Sayhut, Al Mukha, and Shaqra were taken with only 7 soldiers killed and 19 more wounded. Command believed the militia was in a state of panic. With nearly all of the 18,000 strong marine detachment already in Yemen the order came in to prepare for the next stage of the war. The ariel attack. With anti-aircraft systems already destroyed along major cities para soldiers prepared for a combined, helicopter, and aircraft landing at over a dozen cities. By the end of the night 45,000 para soldiers would be on the ground at Yemen, drastically bolstering the numbers of Ninjanian soldiers. Also unloading their equipment at Aden was the 11th Imperial Armoured Division. Once this unit finished deployment, they'll become the leading force behind the Ninjanian assualt.

The hum of the C-5 Galaxy's engines rung throughout the passenger seating area. Lieutenant Charles Higgins' unit would be on of the first units air dropped into Yemen. His unit would be dropped several miles away from Dhamar. The 12th Brigade was assigned to take and hold Dhamar, and wait until further orders were given. The 2,700 man brigade was onboard several different types of aircraft, but most were on the large C-5 Galaxy's, and C-17 GlobeMasters. The grand plan of Command was to suffocate the large miltia stronghold at the capital, Sanaa. To accomplish this a para brigade would be deployed at the cities of Al Mahwit, Amran, Ma'rib, Harib, and Dhamar. The rest of the airborne task force would deploy it's soldiers at various other cities of value around Yemen.

The lieutenant heard the call around the aircraft, the men were to prepare to disembark. Each soldier stood up and checked the equipment of the soldier in front of him. The lieutenant eyed the red light shining brightly near the now open door. Suddenly it turned yellow. He took a deep breath and waited for the green light. Before he knew it he was out of the aircraft, high above Yemen. He pulled the latch that released his parachute and he slowly floated to the ground. Upon hitting the ground he immediately disposed of his parachute, checked his rifle and ran towards the companies meeting point. The meeting point was located in the middle of wheat field, only one hundred yards away from where the Lieutenant was. Most of the company was already present when he arrived. They saluted him as he came into view. he took a look at his men and spoke,

"Is the area secured?"

"We believe it to be, sir." answered one of the corporals.

"Make sure of it. Take two other men."

The corporal nodded and chose two privates to go with him on his patrol. The lietenant called for the squad leaders of the company to go over the plan again. He took out his map and began speaking.

"Alright so we're roughly three clicks from Dhamar. Our company is one of the closests units to Dhamar so we can expect to be one of the first there. We should approach the city from the South East, Squad A, B, and C will be the assualt squad for our assualt into the Southern District of the city. Squads D, and E will serve as reinforcments, can provide mortar support. Now Sergeant Allen, if you take a route towa-"

Series bursts of gun fire were heard close by. Immediately the Lieutenant reached for his rifle. The others around him did the same. He ordered the squads to form rank, and 1st and 2nd Platoon were ordered foward towards the gunfire. Third Platoon was to remain close behind. Lieutenant Higgins was on of the leading men in 1st Platoon. As he approached some flattened stokes of wheat he noticed the familiar para BDU. He immediately signaled more men foward to secure the body. He slowly crouched towards the bodies, and spoke to himself.

"Dammit." He reached for his radio and spoke, "Sergeant Allen, get Alpha Squad to patrol the tree lines. Sergeant Willcox take the right flank, and flare out. Sergeant Jenkins take the left flank and do the same. All other squads remain in current formation."

Within minutes of Alpha squads movement into the tree lines a series of gunfire was heard. Sergeant Allen spoke through the radio,

"We have enemy contact. Grenades, RPGs, and small arms. Estimate resistance to be of platoon level or higher. Request immediate backup."

Lieutenant Higgins repsonded quickly, "Sergeant Willcox take Bravo Squad and flank the enemy unit. Sergeant Jenkins try to route the unit from the rear. All other squads form up rank and prepare to move into the tree lines. Sergeant Allen where is the enemy attacking from?"

"They're attacking from the West, we're suffering casualties sir. Most of my men are injured, I can't last long.

"Don't worry sergeant we're coming."

The Lieutenant lead the trod through the trees. The sound of explosions and gunfire grew as they advanced more. Soon the Lieutenant could see the Sergeant's position. Two fallen trees were the main protection against the enemy onslaught. The enemy gunfire died down as they turned to meet the new threat. Sergeant Wilcox, and Sergeant Jenkins' squads were pinning down the enemy. The lieutenant ordered his men to take precision shots, and to not waste ammunition. As the enemy's riflefire became weaker and weaker it was evident the unit would soon be captured. Within minutes after the attack the remaining milita soldiers were captured. A total of four bloody militia was left. Around them lay fifty nine bodies of their former comrades. The lieutenant grabbed one of the prisoners violently by his shirt and brought him to his face. A nearby translator spoke for the lieutenant and the militia man.

"What warlord do you work for?"

The militia men hesistated and took a look around him. "Warlord Zheheem." was the weak reply.

"Are there anymore of these patrols from here to Dhamar?"

He nodded slowly.

"What is the number of militia in Dhamar?"

The man hesistated, and finally spoke, "Four thousand five hundred militia, after the most recent bombings."

The lieutant, now satisfied threw the man to a nearby soldier. "Watch after him."

The skirmish outside of Dhamar was a costly. Squad Alpha was reduced to one quarter strength. 6 were killed, and 12 more injured as a result.

The battles for Yemen were short fierce firefights, usually involving lightly armoured Ninjanian patrols and some militia ambushers. The advance in all fronts went quickly. All 63,000 Ninjanian soldiers were now combat ready in Yemen. Atleast a brigade of soldiers were occupying all the major cities around Sanaa; a seige on the city of Sanaa began once the 11th Imperial Armoured was in position. Tanks, IFVs, and artillery surrounded the entire city, as the roads were blocked off by infantry companies. Daily night and day ariel bombardments nearly completely destroyed the city, the central militia command center was annihilated as small groups of milita walked around the city aimlessly.

As a full month passed by without the full surrender of the Yemeni militia. The order was passed without hesitation to begin a full land, naval, and ariel bombardment of the city. With already most of the city in ruins that attack began. First hundreds of TM-38 opened up on houses, and any sort of building. The powerful main gun easily destroyed each building hit. Nearby SLV-73's peppered the ruins with their gatling gun, ensuring no militia inside would be alive. Then the 105mm, 155mm, and the larger 203mm howitzers began firing at the cities center. And finally 22 old B-2 Spirits, and 48 F/A-91 fighters released a tremendous amount of missiles over the city. Each B-2 carried dozens free falling 2000lb bombs, and the F/A-91's carried dozens of cluster munitions, intending to kill anyone in the city.

By morning the entire city was devasted. In the evening the commanding officer of the campaign declared Yemen secured and that all significant resistance has been destroyed and most of the remaining survivors have fled the nation.