Chapter 1744 - 1357: Nasur Fortress (Part 2)

Song Heping looked at his watch again.

9:58 PM.

Approximately ten hours and fifty minutes until the vanguard of Barzani's first armored brigade reaches the Nasur Fortress.

Two minutes until the vanguard of the Abu You Brigade moves into pursuit position.

At least sixteen hours until Samir's troops complete the deployment of the northern blockade positions.

Sixty minutes until the "Storm" battalion completes its emergency deployment preparation.

Less than forty-eight hours until this civil war, deciding the life and death of the Kurdish, reaches its final turning point.

"Commence the operation!"

Song Heping waved his hand, issuing the final order.

One hour later.

East of Erbil City, Camp No. 3 of the Third Brigade.

The midnight chill was shattered by the heat waves from diesel engines.

In the central open ground of the camp, twenty-four tracked infantry fighting vehicles and eight-wheeled armored personnel carriers were lined up in two columns of steel, their engines growling low.

The blue-gray digital camouflage on the vehicles shimmered coldly under the searchlights, and the gun ports of the turreted machine guns were as deep as caves.

This was the sharpest blade of the Third Mechanized Brigade, the "Storm" Assault Battalion.

Four hundred and twenty officers and soldiers, fully armed, stood solemnly by the vehicles, having completed their final preparations.

Major Faisal, the battalion commander, stood at the front of the formation conducting the final pre-combat inspection.

"Anti-tank missile team, report!"

"Team A, two sets of 'Kornet', six rounds ready!"

"Team B, two sets of 'Kornet', six rounds ready! Four RPG-29s, twenty armor-piercing rounds!"

"Heavy machine gun team!"

"Four NSV heavy machine guns, eight thousand rounds ready! Two AGS-30 automatic grenade launchers, one hundred and twenty grenades!"

"Sniper team!"

"Six SVD sniper rifles, two OSV-96 anti-material rifles, special ammunition fully loaded!"

The reports on equipment were concise and powerful, echoing in the cold night wind.

Faisal's gaze swept across every face, finally landing on the two armored command vehicles that had just entered the camp.

The doors opened, and Song Heping was the first to jump down.

Immediately after, Little Masoud also got out of the vehicle.

Major Faisal hurried forward, saluting the two of them: "The 'Storm' Battalion is fully prepared and ready to deploy at any time! Major Faisal, at your command!"

Song Heping returned the salute, his gaze sweeping across the entire camp: "Major, I need to know the real situation. What is your battalion's combat readiness? How is the morale?"

Faisal answered without hesitation: "Report! Our personnel equipment readiness is ninety-two percent, basic supply and weapons calibration are complete. As for morale..."

He paused, his voice lower but firm.

"The brothers know what happened in the city, and they know what that bastard Barzani did. They are all simmering with anger, just waiting for the order."

"Very good." Song Heping nodded and turned to Little Masoud, gesturing with his hand: "Your Excellency? A few words?"

Little Masoud took a deep breath of the cold air and walked to the front of the formation.

Over four hundred pairs of eyes instantly focused on him.

"Warriors of the 'Storm' Battalion."

The night wind carried his voice far.

"A few hours ago, the traitor Barzani's lackeys nearly captured our capital, nearly pointed their guns at the President's Mansion, at all of our homes. Now, that traitor, with tanks and artillery stolen from the Kurdish people, is marching towards Erbil. He has sixteen thousand men, tank groups, and heavy artillery."

He paused, his gaze sweeping across each face.

"And in Erbil, we can immediately deploy fewer than five thousand for field defense, with reinforcements on the way."

There was a low rumble among the crowd, but no one spoke.

"But we need time. We need someone to earn that time."

Little Masoud's voice suddenly rose.

"The order from the General Staff is for the 'Storm' Battalion to advance to the Nasur Fortress, establish a blocking position there, and hold back Barzani's two thousand-strong vanguard for at least twelve hours! Buy time for our allies to complete reinforcements and encircle!"

He stepped forward, his youthful face sharply defined under the lights:

"I know what this mission means. I know what we are up against. I know that some of us might not return."

The formation was silent, only the engines growling.

"So, I will not hide in a safe command room, giving you orders to die via radio."

Little Masoud raised his right hand, pointing to the golden eagle emblem on his arm.

"I, Masoud, will go with you to Nasur Fortress! At the Karash Pass, my father once led less than a company to hold back an entire regiment of Sadam's forces. Today, with the 'Storm' Battalion, I will also show Barzani's rebels what the courage of the Masoud family means, what the backbone of the Kurdish warriors is!"

A brief dead silence.

Then, Major Rashid suddenly turned around, facing the entire battalion, shouting hoarsely: "For Kurdistan!"

"For Kurdistan!!!"

The roar from over four hundred throats instantly drowned out all engine sounds, exploding in the night sky.

"Board the vehicles!"

Seeing that it was about time, and the troops were adequately motivated, Song Heping issued the departure order.

The steel torrent began to flow.

Armored vehicles drove out of the camp gates in turn, merging into the traffic heading for the eastern city expressway. Leading the convoy were two BMP-3 infantry fighting vehicles equipped with mine rollers and reactive armor, followed by BTR-82A wheeled armored vehicles carrying infantry and anti-tank teams, with ammunition trucks, ambulances, and command vehicles bringing up the rear.

The entire convoy stretched nearly a kilometer long, their headlights lighting up the road like daylight.

Little Masoud sat in the co-driver's seat of the second command vehicle, looking at the convoy stretching behind through the rearview mirror.