Agarput Crisis

1987 Agarput crisis
Thalassic Soldier outside Taman, Agarput Republic
Date June 1987 – 1994 Location Agarput Republic Status Thalassic Federation tactical victory Stabilisation of the Agarput Republic Independence referendum held
Belligerents
Thalassic Federation Pro-Federation militias Supported by: Federal Union of Arcadia	Agarput Rebels Agarput Anyar Anak-anak Dewi Supported by: Eisenreich Islamist Rebels Jemaah Islamiyah Supported by: Urshchenya
Commanders and leaders
Joseph di Saldi Kauri Waititi Gede Setiawan Komang Guru	Kadek Tjokorda Komang Brahmanis Abu Rusdan
Units involved
Thalassic Federation Ground Forces 3BDE Drovers 5BDE Islander 6BDE Bluedogs 12BDE Raiwhara Thalassic Federation Air Force No. 11 Squadron No. 25 Squadron No. 56 Tactical Fighter Squadron	Vichada Battalion Taman Battalion Nazar Battalion Kuil Kali Islamic Self Defence Brigades Pedang Islam
Strength
8,000 soldiers 36 Aircraft 1 LHD, 1 Destroyer, 2 Assault ships	11,400 2,000 1,300
Casualties and losses
116 killed 209 wounded	400+ killed 500+ wounded 3,187 arrested
1,400+ civilians 220,000+ refugees

The 1987 Agarput crisis began after a period of political and economic instability in the Agarput Republic shortly after its incorporation into the Thalassic Federation. Fighting began with attacks by Hindu extremist group Anak-anak Dewi targeting the local government senate offices, killing 102 civilians and administrators, including eight visiting Federation diplomats. Immediately following this the Thalassic Federation Ground Forces deployed the 5th Brigade to assist in reconstruction and peacekeeping efforts. Shortly thereafter local strife erupted into combat between Thalassic forces and local extremist groups, including nationalist brigades Agarput Anyar, as well as Hindu and Islamic extremists. These disparate groups, despite principally being opposed to the Thalassic Forces, would very regularly attack one another.

Background

The Agarput republic has often been defined by its religious divide. The north of the island is predominantly Hindu, while the south holds a significant Muslim population. Tension between these groups date back centuries, and both religious groups trace their lineage to various invasions which have occured throughout the islands history. In the mid 1950s through to mid 1960s the island suffered under a continual Islamist insurgency which only ended with the partial recognition of the southern areas of Pengceluk and Gerokgak and withdrawal of Agarput troops from these areas.

Violence between Muslim and Hindu Agarputs flared up again in the 1980s following an effort by authoritarian president Gebe Ksatria to reclaim the wayward regions. This conflict ended in disaster for the Agarput government, resulting in a Thalassic Federation-brokered ceasefire in 1981. The Ksatria government promptly collapsed later in that same year, with the country briefly falling into civil war, ending with a pro-Federation government in control of the Agarput government. In 1984 the Agarput Republic held a referendum regarding special membership within the Thalassic Federation wherein they would retain local government and autonomy while joining the Federation and benefitting from Federation assistance. The vote was successful with 62% of the population voting to become a member of the Thalassic Federation.

Voting and violence

The Thalassic vote was strife with intimidation and violence, nationalist groups, most of whom were loyal to the now-imprisoned Ksatria, assaulted voting booths and discouraged citizens from attending the vote. Afterwards, these groups also rose up in protest against the Thalassic takeover of the country. Sporadic violence ensued but was promptly stifled by local police, and discontented elements of the public were sated with generous Thalassic infrastructure and reconstruction spending.

Senate Bombing and start of conflict

On the 17th of June at 4:03AM a truck-based fertilizer bomb was detonated outside the local government Senate building, killing over a hundred civilians. Hindu extremist organization Anak-anak Dewi claimed responsibility for the attack under the purview of the armed wing of the movement Temple of Kali. Thalassic and Agarput officials were quickly mobilized to apprehend Temple of Kali members responsible for the attack, arresting 70 people in the following days in suspicion of connection to the attacks. Shortly thereafter the Temple of Kali launched a series of attacks targeting Thalassic and Agarput security forces, as well as civilians, the most high profile of these attacks was a bombing of a Nelson train in 1987 which killed 53 people. While the temple of Kali seized land, they were accused of multiple atrocities, particularly targeting the Muslim population of the island, who they blamed for the collapse of the Agarput order and thus the Thalassic takeover.

Foundation of other paramilitaries

While the Hindu extremist temple of Kali struggled with recruitment, Agarput nationalist organization, Agarput Anyar who had organized protests three years prior, also established their own series of paramilitary groups. As well as Agarput Anyar, Jemaah Islamiyah or Islamic Congregation representing Islamic issues in Pengceluk and Gerokgak, after learning of the atrocities committed by the Temple of Kali targetting Muslims, founded the militant organization, Islamist Self Defence Brigades, with the intention to protect rural and marginal islamic communities from being taken by the Temple. While the ISDB initially remained on neutral terms with Federation forces, Federation attempts to re-incorporate Pengceluk and Gerokgak into the new Thalassic Agarput Republic brought them into direct conflict multiple times.