Imerti Conflict

Imerti Conflict
Syaran reinforcements arrive in Imerti
Date 9 August - 14 August 2005 (6 Days) Location Imerti Territory Result Status quo ante bellum OTN backed ceasefire
Belligerents
Ishkordhur Ruvelka	Syara
Commanders and leaders
Dominik Veres	Dragomir Zhelev
Strength
Ishkordhur 5,000 local militia Foreign volunteers Imperial Armed Forces of Ruvelka 15,000 Imperial Army personnel 3,400 Imperial Fusiliers 1,2000 Border guards and security	Syaran Commonality Armed Forces 18,000 Syaran National Army troops 4,600 Imerti Garrison troops 1,500 Galanian Territorial Forces
Casualties and losses
441 killed 1,913 wounded 212 captured	189 killed 1,455 wounded 588 captured

The Imerti Conflict was a brief war fought between the Ishkordhur separatist group backed by Ruvelka against Syara. The war began with an attempted uprising by the separatist militia in an effort to gain independence from Syara. The Ishkordhur received financial and military aid from Ruvelka, which also deployed military forces in support. The fighting primarily took place in Imerti between 9-14 August 2005 and ended with an OTN-backed ceasefire.

The Imertan people—who make up most the population of Imerti—have historically been torn between Syara and Ruvelka, but in the 20th Century had become increasingly aligned with Ruvelka due to lack of Syaran support for Imerti's unique linguistic and cultural heritage. During the Refusal War the Ishkordhur, an Imertan ethnic militia and separatist movement, had attempted to instigate a popular uprising and secede from Syara, but Warden forces had invaded and seized control of the region owing to the presence of the Shrine of Aristomakhe, an important holy site in the Zobethos religion. Although Ruvelka and Syara had agreed to formally recognize the border in the 1993 Commonality-Principality Border Agreement, Ruvelkan concern over the presence of ethnic Ruvelkans within Imerti, coupled with historical sympathy and support for the Imertan people led to strained relations. Tensions began rising in the early 2000s as the Government of Syara began limiting financial support for Imerti-language educations and cultural programs, leading to accusations of attempted Syaran cultural assimilation. The Ishkordhur responded by stockpiling weapons and supplies while attempting to secure Ruvelkan support for an Ishkordhur-inspired uprising. Chancellor Dominik Veres ultimately agreed to support the effort in exchange for Imerti becoming a Ruvelkan protectorate. Ruvelkan willingness to support the Ishkordhur was largely driven by Ruvelkan desire to acquire control of the central Syaran-Ruvelka border, which had historically been the primary invasion route of Syaran armies into Ruvelka. The Veres government believed that given the rapid Syaran response to the 1997 Sopron Bombing, a repeat of the Seven Day War was unlikely.

After months of heightened tensions due to a series of clashes bewteen the Ishkordhur and local Syaran forces, the uprising was launched on 9 August 2005. Ishkordhur-aligned militia seized control of the regional capital of Dombrád, along with the cities of Ricaj, Koloros, Zapko, and Koxbë. Approximately 3,000 Ruvelkan Imperial Fusiliers quickly crossed the border to support the Ishkordhur, engaging with the forces of the Imerti Garrison and capturing more than 500 Syaran soldiers. By 10 August most of the major roadways and urban areas within Imerti were under Ishkordhur-Ruvelkan control.

Executive Dragomir Zhelev declared the act an illegal insurrection and publicly accused Ruvelka of an "act of war", although Zovahr did not officially declare war, the Syaran government did recognize the presence of hostilities. The Syaran Commonality Armed Forces mobilized in response and deployed troops to retake Imerti beginning on the night of 10-11 August. The Commonality Air Force bombed Ishkordhur and Ruvelkan positions within Imerti, leading to brief clashes with the Ruvelkan Imperial Air Force. On 11 August the Syaran National Army and Galanian Territorial Forces recaptured Koloros near the Syaran border and engaged elements of the Ruvelkan Imperial Army and Fusiliers near Koxbë and Zapko. On 12 August the Syarans captured the Iliniki Highway and surrounded Ricaj. On 13 August the Syarans launched an assault against Ruvelkan troops and Ishkordhur militia outside Dombrád. In the evening the same day Debrecen announced it was withdrawing its forces from Imerti and requested a ceasefire. The Syarans accepted the ceasefire and announced an end to combat operations on 14 August shortly after retaking Dombrád. The ceasefire was backed by the OTN, and the war is generally concluded to have ended on 14 August, although holdouts of Ishkordhur miltia continued to engage in sporadic fighting over the next several weeks.

The six-day war effectively ended the largely cordial relations between Syara and Ruvelka that had existed since the Refusal War. The decision to support the Ishkordhur nearly led to the collapse of the Dominik Veres Administration in Ruvelka, while in Syara the victory vindicated the Zhelev government. The increase in tensions between Ruvelka and Syara would remain and contribute to the outbreak of the Zemplen War three years later. Syara's rapid repulsion of Ruvelkan forces is believed to have contributed to Syaran overconfidence in Operation Aspis and lack of preparation for an extended war.