2021 Magalian War
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| Magalian Defense Force Syranian Air Forces | Azraelian Federal Defense Army | ||||
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The 2021 Magalian War, also known as the Magalian Insurgency or the Magalian War for Independence, is a major civil conflict ongoing within the regions of South Magal and Kyrgal provinces of Azraelia. Currently, the Magalian Defense Forces, a paramilitary force organized by the local revolutionaries in the region and supplied by Syrania, occupies much of Kyrgal and an estimated 54% of South Magal, with both provinces currently decrepit economically because of the intense conflict within them.
The war began in early 2021 after protests in South Magal demanding a unification referendum suffered heavy crackdown by Azraelian soldiers, which killed over a hundred protestors and pushed the protests to turn into rioting, with many Azraelian soldiers being attacked by rioters armed with batons, rocks, metal scraps from junkyards, and more. Azraelia's government further cracked down on the protests by moving the AFDA into the region to suppress dissent, which resulted in numerous incidents of armed soldiers firing live ammunition at rioting civilians. All of this culminated on January 7th when groups of armed rioters carrying Syranian-made SN-FAL rifles and MK1 fragmentation grenades attacked several police departments and military checkpoints in the city of Polberbodajk, killing 132 servicemen and taking over many of the attacked positions. They soon raised their militia's flag over the positions and declared the Republic of South Magal, a secessionist state intent on reunification with Syrania.
In the modern day, the Syranian Armed Forces currently conduct numerous airstrikes every year on Azraelian positions within South Magal, and often engage the Azraelian air forces to reinforce a recently-declared no-fly zone above the country, set up to aid the Magalian revolutionaries in their fight for reunification with Syrania. This has been met with international condemnation by many notable nations including Osatia, which states that the war is "an abhorrent display of Syranian expansionism and militarist rhetoric geopolitically". Economic sanctions against Syrania have been put into place by Osatia and all of its allies, however economic ties between Syrania and Kalaria have prevented the country from being conclusively affected by the sanctions.
Background
There is a longstanding history of ethnic tensions, political tensions and historical tensions between Syrania and Azraelia which preceded the conflict, and perhaps contributed to the severity.
In the 1900s, both nations were unified under the former Nortean Federation, however both states had separate agendas and policies, and due to ethnical tensions within the federation often fought one another politically for control of the rich Magal province between them, which had been an autonomous district for over 20 years. In 1994 the Nortean Federation faced collapse after the secession of Telyria and Vitalia, with both territories being major economic centers for Nortea and a crippling loss because of it. Due to the sudden economic crisis Nortea faced, the Federation conducted a territorial review and concluded that unless territory be shrunk and the GDP re-invigorated, the economy would collapse from overburden in only ten years. So, the Federation sold the Fyrghab, Minasi [Messera], and Khugul provinces of Syrania to Osatia and infused the money into Syrania's manufacturing and infrastructural sectors of the economy, which greatly angered the destitute Azraelians in the north, whom were facing poverty and famine due to the economic crisis. This led to the 2000 Azraelian War, which saw the Nortean Federal Unitary Army fight for over ten years to contain an Azraelian insurgency fighting for independence. However, after the Nortean capital city was bombed by Azraelian insurgents, the Nortean government finally permitted a referendum, and Azraelia seceded. This prompted the final demise of the Federation, as the federal government renamed the nation to the Republic of Syrania.
Though the civil war was over, Syrania and Azraelia would continue to suffer high tensions due to the status of the Magal region, which was still the more economically vital province for both. When Azraelia seceded, the region was split into North and South Magal to appease both governments, however this would doom both to future conflict. Both sides began to hold dialogues and negotiation summits over the status of Magal between 2011 and 2017, however talks broke down in April of 2017 after Syranian air forces violated Azraelia's airspace and shot down an Azraelian patrol jet before flying back into Syranian airspace. soon following the beginning of the crisis, protests in Magal favoring unification under Syranian rule began, and Syrania was blamed for instigating the protests and thus unrest in Azraelia. The protests would continue with low-level intensity until 2020, when the beginnings of the war would start to show.
Magalian Defense Force Attacks
In 2020, following the sudden intensification of protests in November, Azraelian border patrol officers and riot police would begin locating and seizing several weapons caches containing Syranian small arms and old infantry gear, and this would lead to hundreds of arrests of suspected terrorists who may have owned the caches. Azraelia's government claimed the arrests were to foil a discovered plot by AGF-affiliated terrorists in order to prevent a conflict with Syrania, however the Azraelian army mobilized in January of 2021 following the discovery of the caches and set up garrisons in the now-rioting Magalian cities.
On January 7th, the war would begin. Early in the morning, at approximately 3:30 AM NST, armed militiamen carrying Syranian SN-FALs and wearing forest camo uniforms would attack several military checkpoints and police departments across the Magal region in a coordinated and planned attack. The militiamen successfully used the element of surprise to seize a majority of their targets, however the Nabolczsalva Airport, Nabolczsalva Administrative Building and Nabolczsalva town square were held by Azraelian soldiers and foiled the initial ambush by the Magalian militia. The militia however would continue to assault, with the last of the fighting, taking place at the airport, ceasing at about 6:30 AM NST with Magalian militiamen holding all targets.
Following this development and the proceeding declaration of the Republic of Magal by the militias, whom had now organized fully into the Magalian Defense Force, the Azraelian armed forces would enact Operation Fighter's Honor to quickly put down the armed revolt. Over six thousand Azraelian soldiers, accompanied by four tank battalions and several aircraft, would cross into Magal and put the cities of Nabolczsalva and Veracseve to siege on January 12th, with the air forces conducting airstrikes on militia forces located in the countryside and any defensive positions. The sieges would soon begin drawing out, however, as rebel forces would frequently launch sorties against federal troops, employing guerilla warfare tactics. This would eventually force Azraelia to once again withdraw and regroup in March, however before the Azraelian army could return to Magal, the MDF reformed their forces and gave them new gear, equipping them with more modern weapons, such as the L-16, and with ballistic gear to help fight against Azraelia. These reforms would be tested when Azraelia once again launched an offensive, and the MDF met it at the Battle of Khogol Dun in northwestern Magal. This battle would prove to be a hard-won success after several days of fighting, with over a thousand casualties on both sides and an ultimate stalemate causing both sides to withdraw, which was ultimately a victory for Magal.
On March 21st, The MDF would launch a series of probing attacks on Azraelian forces along the border of Magal and Kyrgal to attempt and end the war, and these attacks would be supported by the Syranian Air Force with airstrikes and air coverage for maneuvering Magalian forces on the ground. This sudden intervention by Syranian military forces was widely condemned by the international community, with Ossotia and its allies placing sanctions on Syrania to attempt and force them to withdraw. However, Kalaria, Syrania's closest ally, would continue economic relations with Syrania, preventing the nation from submitting to the sanctions. By the present day, the offensive by Magalian forces has slowed significantly after the capture of the Bkhizmu highway near Telakr, Azrael's capital, due to stiff resistance by the AFDA.