Chapter 484 - 430 Sudden Incident

At eleven o'clock at night, in the Colombian jungle near Mani Town.

A watch group had already been dispatched, and Anthony was embroiled in a huddle with five core members discussing how to attack the AUC camp.

Less than twenty kilometers from the border, intelligence indicated that there were about ninety armed members inside the camp. The batch of weapons and ammunition brought from the port was temporarily piled up in the northwest corner of the camp, covered with waterproof tarps, estimating that someone would come to transport it away in the next few days.

Anthony and his buddies planned to raid the camp tonight, then destroy the weapons and ammunition, and organize a retreat afterward.

This was the ultimate exam.

It looked very simple.

Not difficult at all.

But in practice, it was not so.

The biggest headache for them now was another camp nearby, just ten kilometers away, belonging to the Colombian Army, with a platoon stationed inside.

This Army platoon was actually a border patrol, usually responsible for patrolling the nearby border area.

Because the relationship between the AUC forces and the government army was ambiguous, they both turned a blind eye to each other, pretending not to see each other.

But should either side be attacked by ELN or FARC forces, they would cooperate and reinforce each other.

This messy situation was not a figment of imagination but a conclusion drawn from years of combat experience.

Externally, the government army never acknowledged any relationship with AUC forces, after all, the AUC also claimed to be an illegal armed group and sometimes even declared themselves as anti-government armed forces.

However, its nature was that of a typical right-wing organization, upholding the interests of the landowning class, with demands that in many ways aligned with those of the current government.

Therefore, locals in Colombia all felt that it was the private army of local tycoons and landowners, supported by these people and cultivated by the government army.

"As soon as we start fighting, the government army's camp will definitely send reinforcements to the AUC camp. The border troops have a lot of patrol vehicles and strong mobility capabilities. I estimate they could arrive within half an hour," Godwin offered his opinion.

"I think we should use the 'encirclement for reinforcements' tactic our instructor taught us, right here—"

He pointed to a bridge between the AUC and government army camps.

The bridge was only ten meters long and the river beneath it just seven or eight meters wide, a small bridge.

"We set an ambush here with a squad, set the explosives, and when their reinforcements come, then we—"

As he spoke, he made an explosive detonation motion with his hands.

The others exchanged glances, had an unspoken agreement through eye contact, and then nodded in unison.

Anthony gave a thumbs up: "Godwin, you've really put what the principal and instructor taught us to good use!"

Godwin, buoyed by the praise from the others, was quite smug, grinning and nodding incessantly, even glancing back at Song Heping and Jiang Feng, who were standing to the side acting as examiners.

"Principal, my plan is not bad, right?"

Song Heping had been listening to their discussion of tactical arrangements all along.

The bridge was indeed a good spot, and it was the necessary route for reinforcements.

By blowing up the bridge, the reinforcements would lose their mobility. If they had to disembark and wade across the river on foot, it would take at least an hour, enough time for the troops attacking the AUC camp to seize an advantage.

Moreover, a squad could still hold them up, gaining an additional half hour at the very least.

As long as they did not become mired in combat and retreated promptly, the plan was undoubtedly viable.

These fellas weren't that smart when they first arrived.

It seemed that the military command studies, combined arms operations, and strategies like the "Thirty-Six Stratagems" taught in class had been somewhat useful.

Going back to the ELN forces, Morins should be satisfied.

"I won't comment on your plan; I'm just an examiner. Have you ever seen an examiner give the answers to the candidates?"

His comment made Godwin somewhat uneasy.

The principal hadn't given a definite answer.

So was their plan viable or not?

The group began to doubt themselves again.

In the end, it was Anthony who was smarter. He reassured Godwin: "If the principal doesn't comment, that means it's fine. If we were really making a big mistake, he'd definitely correct it. Relax, Godwin, your plan is viable!"

Out of everyone, Song Heping actually admired Anthony the most.

This guy was smarter than the others, and he had a foundation in formal military training, achieving the best results of these fifty people.

Jiang Feng said, "Old squad leader, look at this bunch of guys, now they all become sly."

Song Heping said, "Being sly is a good thing. They were originally anti-government armed forces, with the nature of a guerrilla. Being sly could help them live longer. Haven't you seen that I've particularly focused on teaching you guerrilla warfare these past two months?"

Just as everyone was finalizing the plan and preparing to start deployment, a sudden call came in over the radio.

"Recon team calling the attack squad, respond if you hear this."

"This is the attack squad. Recon team, please speak."

Anthony picked up the radio transceiver.

"There's a problem. A platoon has suddenly shown up at the AUC camp."

"What? Clarify!"

"A platoon has suddenly arrived at the target camp area. We're monitoring them. It seems they are here to transport arms. I saw them checking the equipment; they've lifted the tarps, and I think they'll be moving it out soon."

The situation changed too suddenly.

Even Song Heping was stunned.

But it also made sense.

Just from seeing the arms in the AUC camp stored openly, it was clear that the weapons were placed there temporarily and would be moved out by someone soon.

It was just unexpected that it would happen so quickly, and just tonight, of all times.

"What should we do?"

Godwin was taken aback this time.

"A platoon, along with the original more than half a platoon, makes the chances of a surprise attack too low."

His words made cold sweat appear on everyone else's foreheads.

Originally, a squad of 10 people was responsible for ambushing and blocking the small bridge, buying time for the 40 remaining men, divided into four squads, to attack the AUC camp.

40 people attacking a camp of more than 90 already seemed tough, but with close cooperation, it was doable.

After all, these 50 men were all of decent individual quality, the core members of the ELN armed forces.

But now with the addition of a platoon, that meant the enemy strength in the AUC camp had reached a frightening figure of almost two hundred.

From a military science perspective, the attackers were at a disadvantage. Generally, without three times the forces, you shouldn't even talk about winning an assault.

Even with a surprise attack, such a disparity in forces was a headache. One misstep could mean complete annihilation.

Jiang Feng quietly asked Song Heping, "The situation has become a bit more complicated. If we wait for those people to leave, the arms will also be moved out, making tonight's attack meaningless. But if we go ahead with it, the risk is pretty high..."

Song Heping caught the implied meaning.

The suggestion was that perhaps Song Heping himself should take to the field to command, and devise an action plan for the trainees.

With Song Heping's level of expertise, he certainly had a way to handle the emergency.

However, Song Heping still seemed very indifferent. He raised his voice and said that if they couldn't handle this little emergency, they shouldn't be commanders.

Deliberately raising his voice; it was clearly meant for the other trainees present to hear.

Anthony and a few others could hear the implicit hint behind the headmaster's tone. They were originally planning to ask for help, but now there was no need.

The group fell silent, sitting dumbfounded in front of the map.

Song Heping glanced at his watch and reminded them, "They're probably going to move the arms for just over an hour, so you don't have much time to waste here. Remember what I mentioned during our military theory classes about the guiding thoughts and principles of decision-making. Make a prompt decision, understand?"

After finishing, he wandered off to one side, casually, directly ignoring these core ELN members, not caring about how they would discuss and decide on their tactics.

"What should we do?"

Seeing Song Heping withdraw his involvement, Godwin suddenly lost his nerve and felt a bit panicky.

In the years he'd been with the ELN, he had never fought a battle with such disparity.

Usually, the battles were fought by concentrating superior forces, winning easy fights. Even if outmatched, they would only face the enemy with geographical benefits ensuring home advantage.

Without superior forces or home advantage, they rarely chose to initiate combat.

This was one of the opportunities that set civilian military and other armed groups apart from regular armies and Special Forces.

Anthony was also stuck for an answer.

"How should I know what to do? You ask me, but who do I ask?"