Imerti Conflict

Imerti Conflict
Syaran reinforcements arrive in Imerti
Date August 1987 - July 2010 (23 Years) Location Imerti Result Treaty of Aragon Region divided into Syaran and Ruvelkan protectorates from 1987-2005 Seized by Syara in August 2005 Ceded to Ruvelka after Zemplen War in 2010
Belligerents
Dombrád Autonomous Republic Ishkordhur Ruvelka	Imerti Concordat Symmerian Home Guard Syara
Commanders and leaders
Erdit Alibali Burrnore Maxhuni Dominik Veres Maia Sabauri Alex Veres Alexander Tóth Kamilla Kerekes Dominik Veres Edviná Molnár	Bulore Duka Dragomir Zhelev Saša Mlinarić Zhivko Hristovski Jovica Stefanov
Strength
12,500 60,000 (2005) 2,500 - 4,000	2,500 45,000 (2005) 4,500
Casualties and losses
2005: ~3,000 2,561 killed, wounded, and missing ~1,500	2005: ~500 1,766 killed, wounded, and missing 858 killed, wounded and missing

The Imerti Conflict was a ethno-political conflict over the region of Imerti on the border between Syara and Ruvelka. It lasted from 1987 to 2010, with the period of 1988 to mid-2005 as a frozen conflict, during which the region was divided between the Ruvelkan-backed Dombrád Autonomous Republic and the Syaran-backed Imerti Concordat. A paramilitary insurgency group known as the Ishkordhur fought against the Syaran occupation to unify Imerti into a single polity, with uneven support from Ruvelka and Dombrád. After initial heavy fighting during the closing months of the Refusal War, the conflict settled into a stalemate with scattered outbreaks of fighting between the two sides chiefly among the unofficial border known as the Imerti Division Line. In August 2005 after a period of increased tensions and clashes the Syaran military intervened directly and invaded the Dombrád Autonomous Republic, driving out the Ruvelkan military from the region. During the Zemplen War Imerti was largely under Syaran control until Ruvelkan forces entered the area during Operation Homefront, advancing to the Granika River. As part of the Treaty of Aragon that ended the war, Syara agreed to cede Imerti to Ruvelka in exchange for unrestricted travel rights for Syaran religious pilgrims.

Background

The Imertan people, for whom the region is named, are an ethno-linguistic group distinct from either Syarans or Ruvelkas. For most of recorded history Imerti was part of the Symmerian Empire, followed by the Rioni Union before falling under the Ruvelkan Imperium in the 19th Century. During the Ruvelkan-Symmerian War the region was conquered by the Symmerians and later incorporated into the Republic of Syara. During the Third Chryse War part of the region fell under the dominion of the Ruvelkan Socialist Republic, but was recaptured by the Syarans during the Ruvelkan Civil War. Following the Siduri War and the Broken Years discontent among the ethnic Imertan populace began to rise due to a lack of representation in the Syaran Senate as the region was considered part of the the Realm of Symmeria rather than it's own state; Imerti interests were represented by Symmerian rather than Imertan officials more often than not. In response to the growing rise of nationalism amid the ranks of the Wardens, many Imertans started protesting in favor of greater autonomy or even independence, which the by now decaying Republic struggled to suppress.

Division

During the Refusal War the pro-independence paramilitary Ishkordhur faction seized power in the regional capital of Dombrád in June 1986. When it became clear that the Wardens (by then steadily winning the conflict) would not accept an independent Imerti, the Ishkordhur appealed to Ruvelkan Chancellor Maia Sabauri who agreed to dispatch the Ruvelkan military to support the Imertans. The Wardens declared the act an invasion of Syaran soil and the Ishkordhur rebellion treason and dispatched 60,000 troops to region, leading to heavy fighting between the separatists and Ruvelkans against the Syarans. Syaran desires for Imerti were primarily driven by religious sentiment; Imerti is home to the Sanctuary of Artemis, one of the most holy sites of the Zobethos religion. Ensuring access to the Sanctuary for Syaran pilgrims was a major motivation for Syaran forces, in addition to the desire to avoid the implication that Syara was weak enough for its' territory to be invaded and annexed. Three months of heavy fighting ended with Ruvelkan and Ishkordhur forces in control of roughly two-thirds of Imerti, including the regional capital. The Syaran retained control of the cities of Mlak, Kotodash, Uraki, and Macallje, but were unable to advance further. A ceasefire was signed in 1989 and reaffirmed by the Commonality-Principality Border Agreement of 1993, but critically both sides only agreed to the territorial division so long as certain elements were met, namely the free travel by Imertans to either side of the division and unhindered access to the Sanctuary of Artemis by Syaran pilgrims.

The terms of the treaty were not well received by some members of Ishkordhur, who considered any division of Imerti as politically unacceptable. Opposition to the state of affairs led the Ishkordhur to begin an insurgency campaign against Syaran occupation of Imerti, which occasionally led to the involvement of both Syaran and Ruvelkan military forces. Both Debrecen and Zovahr attempted to add legitimacy to their dominions by installing client states; Ruvelka formed the Dombrád Automonous Republic in 1990 while Syaran formed the Imerti Concordat in 1991. While both sides insisted their respective protectorates were the legitimate government both existed as little more than political extensions of their respective overseers. Despite continued violence throughout the 1990s, events in Imerti were largely overshadowed by the more politically prominent and widespread insurgency in Zemplen, further emphasized by the Syaran-led Zemplen Resolution Campaign.

Deterioration

Although a 2001 report by the Organization of Tyrannic Nations stated that both Syara and Ruvelka were largely committed to maintaining the peace in Imerti, the situation in the region began to deteriorate in the 21st Century. Historians have suggested various reasons for this. Despite both Ruvelka and Syara experiencing economic growth during the time period, Imerti (and other border regions like Zemplen) lagged behind. Continued if sporadic violence frightened away potential investors while internal growth was stymied by the questionable stability of the region. Lack of local growth and productivity forced many Imertans to travel for work and commerce, while continued attacks by the Ishkordhur further galvanized public sentiment in both directions. In response to increased traffic and the proliferation of the Ishkordhur, Syaran authorities in Imerti frequently shut down roads and checkpoints along major transit routes. These actions typically drew criticism from Ruvelkan and Dombrád officials, but Syaran authorities justified the actions due to the continued threats of the Ishkordhur. Additional fuel was thrown on the proverbial fire by reports of harassment and assaults on Syaran pilgrims, only further enflamed by attacks on the Sanctuary of Artemis in the form of arson attacks and vandalism. Despite Debrecens' condemnation of these incidents, public outrage from Syara further strained tensions.

Relations between Syara and Ruvelka in general began to sour in in the early 2000s. Residual Syaran insinuations of continued ties between Debrecen and the various separatist insurgent groups across the border regions remained following the 1997 Sopron Bombing, despite the Syaran government officially stating that there was no indication of Ruvelkan support or involvement. Syara's commencement of a major military modernization program in 2001 further eroded relations between the two nations, as Debren accused Zovahr of seeking to intimidate Ruvelka into concessions. Between 2000-2004 there were more than a hundred incidents of attacks, confrontations, and standoffs along the Imerti division, most significant around the border cities of Pjezi, Joronshiste, and Losnik. In June 2004, as part of an effort to better control access to Concordat and Syaran territory, Syaran officials instituted a new credentialing system in which Imertans aiming to cross the division were required to register for travel cards with the Syaran government. The Symmerian Realm Government further established that Concordat travel cards would be registered alongside similar travel documents including passports, making them subject to Syaran law. The initiative was denounced in Dombrád and Debrecen as overbearing on Imertans in the Autonomous Republic. In response Ruvelkas' Federal Assembly passed legislation granting Dombrád special privileges to include the ability for Imertans living in the Autonomous Republic the ability to apply for Ruvelkan passports, effectively streamlining the path to citizenship. Syaran Minister of Foreign Affairs Katina Docevska labeled the action "irresponsible".

Tensions along the border subsequently spiked on 14 July 2004 when Concordat Security Services arrested eight Imertans who were attempting to travel to Kotodash from Joronshiste. After two weeks imprisonment the eight were released from custody amid Ruvelkan and Dombrád protest. The next month on 5 August Syaran officials claimed that one of the border outposts south of the Syaran city of Orle was fired upon by "insurgents and bandits" believed to be affiliated with the Ishkordhur. In response the Symmerian Viceroy Andrej Cilemanoff announced the closure of the connecting roadway between Syaran Highway S28 and Imertan Roadway C8. President Erdit Alibali of Dombrád criticized the move as "foolish and poorly thought out", claiming the Symmerians were "failing to work towards common interests with the [Autonomous] Republic". Just two weeks later on 19 August another incident occurred when Ruvelkan law enforcement downed a Syaran unmanned aerial vehicle on the border near the Ruvelkan city of Vatuseve. Syara accused Ruvelka of downing the UAV while it was still in Syaran airspace, which Ruvelka denied.

In response to heightening tensions, Viceroy Cilemanoff ordered the 1st Infantry Regiment of the Symmerian Home Guard to be deployed to Imerti. The move was immediately labeled as provocative and against the outline of the Syaran-Ruvelkan agreement by both Dombrád and Debrecen. Zovahr argued otherwise, pointing out that the existing agreement covered national armed forces and did not apply to the Home Guard, which answered to the Viceroy and not the Executive or the national government. This legal distinction, which did not exist in Ruvelka and not recognized as such, was dismissed by Ruvelkan Chancellor Dominik Veres. Veres in turn authorized the dispatching of military equipment, including trucks, mortars, machine guns, anti-tank weaponry, and drones to Dombráds' security forces. These two actions triggered a steadily escalating series of deployments and an informal arms race between Symmerian and Ruvelkan/Dombrád forces in Imerti. In October the Symmerians reinforced their forces in Imerti with the 13th Armored Battalion, which the Ruvelkans answered by constructing forward arming and refueling points for helicopters. The Syaran Ministry of Defense labeled the act a "blatant indication of Ruvelkan intention for aggressive action in Imerti".

By 2005 the Symmerians had reinforced the Imerti Garrison with some 4,000 troops, including two infantry regiments, an armored battalion, and an artillery battalion. According to Syaran estimates Ruvelka and Dombrád fielded some 10,000 soldiers and security personnel in Imerti against some 6,000 Symmerian and Concordat troops.

Six Day War

Between 1-6 August 2005 open hostilities broke out between Ruvelka and Syara over Imerti after a period of heightened tensions and repeated attacks against both sides by local security forces. The conflict lasted for six days, earning the moniker the Six Day War; other names include the Imerti War or the August War.

Symmerian Home Guard armor in Imerti.

Prelude

In Spring 2005 the situation in Imerti had grown increasingly unstable as both sides ramped up security and military forces. Under Ruvelkan pressure Burrnore Maxhuni, the leader of the Ishkordhur agreed to cease attacks on Concordat and Syaran forces in Imerti, but attacks reportedly continued. Maxhuni defended the continued violence as "self-defense against Syara's grip" on Imerti. Maxhuni and other Ishkordhur members insisted that Syaran security forces were attacking Imertan outposts and checkpoints along the border. In mid-April two battalions of the Ruvelkan Imperial Army from the 21st Infantry Division arrived in Imerti reportedly for training alongside Dombrád territorial forces. Additional units of the Territorial Defense Forces were also called up. The Syaran Ministry of Defense labeled the act provocative, which Debrecen responded by arguing that Syara had already moved military forces into the region when the Symmerian Home Guard had arrived in Autumn 2004. Ruvelkan forces remained south of the Granika river during the duration of the exercise, during which Ruvelkan and Dombrád troops practiced setting up defensive measures, field fortifications, and convoy duties.

By May the bulk of the Symmerian 124th Division had been deployed to Imerti and the Syaran border around the region, which according to Ruvelkan intelligence constituted 8,000 troops including 25 Myrmeke Main Battle Tanks, more than 30 Ceteus infantry fighting vehicles, and a dozen towed 105mm artillery pieces. Ruvelka labeled this deployment as "offensively inclined" and suggested the Symmerian Realm Government intended to take military action against Dombrád, which Viceroy Cilemanoff denied. Both sides increased the frequency of their combat air patrols in the region, with Syaran officials stating that Syaran radar had detected nearly 50 incidents of Ruvelkan fighters flying within 30 kilometers of the division line, an alleged violation of the border agreement. Debrecen stated that Syaran abrogation of the treaty through Symmerian deployments had forced Ruvelka to take "appropriate defensive measures".

Incidents of violence continued to increase during the summer. On 14 June 2005 an improvised explosive device was detonated along a vehicle patrol path employed by Concordat Security, wounding three. On 29 June President Erdit Alibali told reporters that a Dombrád checkpoint had been fired upon by snipers north of Pjezi on the division line. On 4 July Symmerian Home Guard troops fired upon a Dombrád patrol east of Losnik near the Nsali River, allegedly after the patrol appeared to be trying to cross the river, an accusation Dombrád denied. After a mortar shell reportedly landed near Concordat positions north of Joronshiste, Syara announced the closure of the checkpoint crossings along Highways C4 and C5. This was followed a week later on 16 July by the closure of the C2 Highway between Mlak and Pjezi. The Federal Assembly of Ruvelka passed a resolution condemning Syaran efforts as "intentionally provocative" and stating that such restrictions would harm the population of Imerti. Syara justified its actions as necessary to safeguard the well being of citizens within the Concordat. On 20 July Burrnore Maxhuni stated that Syara was planning to invade Imerti by the end of the year and encouraged citizens to arm themselves to resist the invasion.

On 23 July a bomb detonated on the outskirts of Shkozat, killing three alleged members of Ishkordhur. The bomb was reportedly made by Concordat security service members with the intention of killing local cell leaders. In response Maxhuni stated that those responsible would be "brought to justice" then posted images of known Concordat checkpoints and outposts to the internet, implying they were valid or upcoming targets. Four days later a Concordat officer was killed by a sniper just outside of Girre. This was followed by two more sniper attacks along the C8 Highway, which runs across the entirety of Imerti from the south-west to the north-east. Portions of the highway between Girre and Vorrozen fell under Concordat control, and on 27 July Governor Bulore Duka of the Concordat government announced that if attacks continued the Concordat would shut down the C8 sections under their control. The announcement was immediately criticized by Dombrád and Ruvelkan officials, with President Alibali likening it to "an act of war". The next day four Syaran Zephyr fighters overflew Imerti airspace as a sign of intimidation towards the Republic and Ruvelka. A Symmerian call for dialogue over the rising tensions was dismissed by Ruvelkan officials.

On 29 July Governor Duka announced that the Vorrozen-Girre C8 Highway section would be shut down until "the security situation had stabilized". Approximately 200 Concordat security personnel set up roadblocks and checkpoints along the section, cutting off all road traffic directly between Girre and Vorrozen. While Vorrozen could still be reached from Buqoz through Highway C11, cutting the C8 Highway reduced traffic outflow from Dombrád controlled south-west Imerti by 80%. Attempts to redirect traffic through Highway C11 resulted in long delays and several automobile accidents, and on 30 July President Alibali demanded the removal of the roadblocks, which was refused the next day. In response, Alibali ordered Dombrád militia to tear down the barriers and restore the right of passage across Highway C8.

Hostilities

Around 06:30 on 1 August a convoy of armored personnel carriers and trucks departed from Girre and arrived at the northern most checkpoint the Concordat had established and demanded its removal. According to the ranking officer of the Dombrád militia on the scene, Major Bylin Gozhita, Concordat troops present refused to dismantle their barricade, and Gozhita ordered an MTPJ3 6×6 Armored Personnel Carrier to charge the barricade, which drew fire from the Concordat troops. Concordat officials disputed this narrative and claimed that the Dombrád militia had fired first. During this engagement two Concordat security personnel were killed and four were captured for no Dombrád casualties. At 07:30 further south Dombrád militia forced open the blockade north of Vorrozen, restoring travel between the city and Girre. At 09:00 President Alibali announced that Highway C8 was open to traffic once more, but urged citizens to refrain from traveling until the situation had stabilized. Governor Duka did not learn of the incident until news of Alibali's announcement reached Uraki at 10:45, after which he phoned Viceroy Cilemanoff and informed him of the development. The Viceroy then contacted Major General Jovica Stefanov, commanding the Symmerian 124th Division, and ordered him to reinforce the Concordat and reestablish the barricades.

The Symmerians couldn't utilize the backroads the Concordat had used to reach the C8 Highway due to their Myrmeke tanks and heavy equipment, so instead Stefanov ordered the 1st Infantry Regiment to advance across the Ushke River and follow Highway C9 towards Schkozat, while the 6th Infantry Regiment advanced into Losnik. While these actions effectively constituted an invasion of Dombrád territory, Stefanov justified the decision by pointing out Dombrád militia had already invaded Concordat territory when they seized control of Highway C8. By Between 12:00-13:30 columns of Symmerian tanks, armored personnel carriers, infantry fighting vehicles, and trucks had advanced into Joronshiste and Losnik. Sporadic gunfire from local militia did not prevent the Symmerians from advancing, and at 14:00 Burrnore Maxhuni announced on radio that the Symmerians were invading the Dombrád Republic and ordered the Ishkordhur to take up arms and stop the invasion. Dombrád militia met the Symmerian 1st Infantry Regiment at Shkozat. The Militia succeeded in stalling the main drive into the city, but in the evening the Symmerians had maneuvered to the heights south of the city and began firing on militia positions with mortars and tank cannons.

In the south the 6th Infantry Regiment had crossed the Nsali River without incident. Footage and photographs posted on the internet by Imertans showed columns of Symmerian armored fighting vehicles and trucks moving down Highway C7 towards Vorrozen. Local Ishkordhur cells rallied to the defense of the city but within two hours had been driven back as they lacked heavy weapons to destroy Symmerian armor. By 15:00 the Symmerians had entered Highway C8 and had reached the site of the Concordat blockade that had been established in the south-west. Colonel Daniel Hristovski, commanding officer of the 6th Regiment, informed General Stefanov that the regiment had reached its goal. Upon learning of the fighting at Shkozat, Stefanov ordered Hristovski to advance and take control of Girre. Hristovski left behind a company of mechanized infantry along with a tank platoon to hold the checkpoint and ordered the rest of the regiment to advance towards Girre. With the southern checkpoint secure Governor Duka ordered Concordat security forces to reinforce the Symmerians, and by the evening approximately 300 additional Concordat troops had arrived in Vorrozen.

By nightfall the Symmerians had advanced on Shkozat and Girre. Girre had been reinforced with additional Dombrád militia and Ishkordhur fighters, but the defenders still lacked heavy weapons. While 1st Regiment under Colonel Stojan Saev halted their efforts during the night, Hristovski's 6th Regiment continued its' attack on Girre. Despite being outnumbered by the defenders (approximately 1,500 Symmerians and Concordat troops against ~2,500 defenders the Symmerians successfully captured the city center and the main bridge over the Sirkt River. Symmerian success at night fighting in Girre was largely as a result of the onboard night vision devices on the Symmerian armored fighting vehicles, while the Dombrád lacked any.