Syriannan Campaign
The Syriannan Campaign was an important military campaign undertaken by the Allied forces during the Middle East Campaign. The campaign commenced after the Bustarke Breakthrough, whereupon the Imperial forces were compelled to continue being on the defensive after their frontline split at the eponymous town. The campaign ended in a successful conclusion for the Allies, which exacerbated Imperial holdings in Mesopotamia.
Resulting in the success of the Allied thrust at Bustarke, the Allied forces were divided in half to put pressure on Syrianna, and western Iraqia and Midgar collectively. Sugiyama decided that more significance be put on Syrianna, as it would cut off East Europan and Quenminese support from northern Mesopotamia. The Imperials, aware of Sugiyama's defensive capabilities, were also aware of this fact, and adjusted accordingly. The Imperials were initially successful at the battles of Al Qamsirdeh and Rabizeraa, and these were coupled with the introduction of the VCST-40 into service by the Quenminese troops. However, a setback occurred during the Battle of Cassandria, when a strategic blunder made by Kiều Dũng Quang in the guise of halting his western flank allowed the Allies to hammer the Quenminese defensive line effectively, and provide them leverage to advance further into Syrianna. At the Battle of Qanarimah, Alexander Sundermann and Vương Thị Lệ attempted to stymie and reverse the Allied advance from the north, although ended in failure. Subsequently, the Imperials organized a defensive line during the Battle of Amestria, which held off the Allied advance for two weeks thanks to the actions of Quang, Lệ, Sundermann and Sazabio, but were eventually pushed back after a failed counteroffensive was ordered by Thạch Hung Sõn Chiến. The Allies then made a foothold at Morana, whereupon the Imperials' southern flank was exposed and contributed to the subsequent Allied defeat at Maysashniyah. In a last bid to counter the Allies at Syrianna, Chiến planned out Operation Ashurbanipal to put pressure and take significant Allied defensive positions in and around Darameir, but the eponymous battle resulted in the counteroffensive being turned on its head. The Imperials' hold on Syrianna was finally dismantled at the Battle of Antioch on the Euphrates.
The campaign helped to magnify the already strenuous Imperial hold on Mesopotamia, enabling the Allies to advance onto Southern Mesopotamia from the northern borders, which secured the relatively smooth advance for the Allied forces in Palestina. The campaign also exposed the archaeological projects undertaken by the Quenminese and the Imperials, particularly their search for the Staff of Seleucus, the Gift of Zagreus and the Kataibatic Tablet, and several SS-run labs as part of Project Eurycleia; a known victim of the labs was Thessalonice VI zu Schärtal-Tangersten, who will later present this as war crime evidence at the Cao Khoát Trials.