Terehan War
| Terehan War | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 Clockwise from top left: Quetanan army units move through Casaat; a destroyed building in Jataran; Caspiaan troops check Terehanian citizens entering a checkpoint; Z-17 Condors flying a routine mission; Kalean troops in a mountainous area south of Casaat; Zamastanian army units landing near Jataran on the day of the invasion | |||||||
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| Belligerents | |||||||
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Invasion phase |
Invasion phase  Al-Fijar | ||||||
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Post-invasion |
Post-invasion Al-Fijar | ||||||
| Commanders and leaders | |||||||
|
 Danio Beretta |
 Sufyaan el-Dada Baddour | ||||||
| Strength | |||||||
| 349,000 | |||||||
| Casualties and losses | |||||||
| 20,000+ killed | |||||||
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The Terehan War, also known as the 2022 invasion of Terehan, was a military conflict in Terehan which began on October 9th, 2022, in direct response to the Beresa port bombing and being the result of a long series of mounting tensions. Beginning with a series of WEDA airstrikes on Terehan, the war quickly expanded to a wider ground campaign in a Zamastanian-led coalition of a combined force of more than 210,000 troops. The invasion was undertaken with the aim of overthrowing the government of Asaad al-Shaad, dismantling the regime's nuclear weapons program, destroying al-Fijar terrorist camps, and restoring an internationally-backed democracy. The war ended on October 17th, 2023, after the bulk of the international force completed their withdrawal and transferred most security responsibilities to the new Terehanian government.
Because Tiqal and Shariati, the only countries with whom Terehan shares a land border, denied WEDA's requests to stage troops for the invasion, WEDA was forced to undertake a massive series of amphibious landings across the entirety of Terehan's coastal regions. While resistance was particularly strong in the western regions, due in large part to the industrial and symbolic importance for the al-Shaad regime, the eastern regions of the country largely capitulated to WEDA control within the first days of the operation, as provincial governors joined ongoing revolutions against al-Shaad and declared their intentions to overthrow the regime. After around a week of fighting and WEDA capturing the major ports of Jataran, Olharat, and Catahle, and effectively controling the coastal provinces, a massive assault against the capital of Casaat was undertaken. The capital was captured on December 15th after a month of fighting, but al-Shaad and many of the regime's officials remained in hiding. Al-Shaad was captured on February 26th, 2023, and was subsequently put on trial by the new interim government. Al-Shaad was sentenced to life imprisonment on June 8th, 2023. After democratic elections were held in April 2023 and Amir al Abadi became president, fighting began to subside and WEDA forces gradually started withdrawing. Congressional Hall and Presidnent Armitage agreed to a withdrawal date of September 8th, 2023, but a few hundred troops remained in the country to assist in security operations with the new Terehanian armed forces.
The war shifted following the collapse of the regime into an occupational stage defined by a restructuring of Terehan's government, a campaign to capture former-regime officials, and a deadly pro-Shaad insurgency led by the Islamic Terehanian Alliance State (ITAS) which led to a dramatic increase in Coalition and civilian casualties. While initial public opinion of the war was supportive, the prolonged and mismanaged nature of the conflict eventually drew highly negative opinion and hampered the domestic popularity and public image of President Armitage, and also strongly affected the popularity of other WEDA leaders. Over 30,000 people were killed in the war, with a quarter of casualties being civilians, largely as a result of ITAS attacks. 1,222 WEDA troops were killed, 871 of which were Zamastanian troops. An estimated 20,000 insurgents were killed in the conflict, though this number may be much higher.
Background
Tensions with Terehan
During ancient times, lands that now constitute Terehan were known as Telaanha and were occupied by many kingdoms and empires, notably the Emmirians. Following the Barretoan Wars, Terehan became a democracy, though since the 1930s it had widely been considered authoritarian. Terehan waged a series of wars against its neighbors throughout history, including the Tiqal-Terehan War which lasted from 1978 to 1984 and killed upwards of 600,000 people. Its government has attracted widespread criticism for its significant constraints and abuses against human rights and civil liberties, including several violent suppressions of mass protests, unfair elections, and limited rights for women and for children. In 2018, Asaad al-Shaad became President and began pursuing a nuclear program which many in the international community claimed was a pursuit for a nuclear weapon.
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In June 2022, dozens of foreign nationals (13 Zamastanian, 2 Caspiaan, 1 Haduastani) were arrested in Terehan under suspicion of espionage. Asaad al-Shaad sentenced them to death, which led to international condemnation being levied against the nation's rogue nuclear weapons program, which al-Shaad continued to deny existed. As nations sanctioned Terehan and called for the release of the captives, al-Shaad endorsed the terrorist group Al-Fijar and called on the group to attack "anti-Muslim" nations. The same day, a terrorist inspired by al-Shaad's endorsement carried out a suicide bombing in Helniemi, Caspiaa, killing 28 people. The captives were executed one week after their detention, leading to a near total international block of diplomatic and economic relations with Terehan. On July 10th, a series of bombings struck Oftbon, Elbresia, killing 290 people. The perpetrators were connected to Terehan, and on July 13th, WEDA conducted a string of airstrikes against 14 military facilities in the Terehanian cities of Catahle, Jataran, and Casaat as an act of retribution. The airstrikes led to Terehan releasing 49 other foreign captives who were set for execution, with al-Shaad conceding that WEDA would not pursue further military action if the hostages were released.
On September 9th, al-Shaad admitted to Terehan's nuclear program being used to construct nuclear weapons, and stressed that his country would never abandon the nuclear weapons in order to counter WEDA, which he accused of pushing to weaken the country's defenses and eventually collapse his government. Terehan's legislature passed a law which spelled out conditions where Terehan would be inclined to use its nuclear weapons, including when it determines that its leadership is facing an imminent "nuclear or non-nuclear attack by hostile forces." The law requires Terehan's military to "automatically" execute nuclear strikes against enemy forces, including their "starting point of provocation and the command," if Casaat's leadership comes under attack. The law also says Terehan could use nukes to prevent an unspecified "catastrophic crisis" to its government and people, a loose definition that experts say reflect an escalatory nuclear doctrine that could create greater concerns for neighbors. Al-Shaad also criticized Saint Croix and Bens in particular over its plans to expand its conventional strike capabilities and revive large-scale military exercises with WEDA to counter the growing threats, describing them as a "dangerous" military action that raises tensions.
Al-Shaad was combative toward WEDA in a September 29th speech and urged his country to expand the operational roles of its tactical nuclear weapons, to accelerate their deployment to strengthen the country's war deterrent. Those comments appeared to align with a ruling party decision in June to approve unspecified new operational duties for front-line troops, which analysts say likely include plans to deploy battlefield nuclear weapons targeting rival nations in South Adula. The government also communicated a threat that it could use its nuclear weapons during conflicts with WEDA's conventional forces, which would raise the risk of accidental clashes in such maritime provocations escalating into a nuclear crisis. Terehan had been speeding its development of nuclear-capable, short-range missiles that can target Saint Croix and Bens. However, as of October 2022 the nuclear program was not yet at the capacity to develop a weapon.
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Terehanian human rights abuses
The Terehanian government had long been under the control of an authoritarian regime guising itself to the world as a democracy, since the president is elected by Terehanian citizens in a direct election. However, international observers have stated there has not been a "free" election since 1956, as all Presidents have been members of the National Progressive Front and their margins of electoral victory are often above 90%. Additionally, the situation for human rights in Terehan had long been a significant concern among independent organizations and the Coalition of Crown Albatross, who in 2013 referred to the country's record as "among the worst in the world." The authorities are accused of arresting democracy and human rights activists, censoring websites, detaining bloggers, and imposing travel bans. Arbitrary detention, torture, and disappearances are widespread. Although Terehan's constitution guarantees gender equality, critics say that personal statutes laws and the penal code discriminate against women and girls. Moreover, it also grants leniency for so-called 'Honor killing'. As of 1 October 2022 during an attempted uprising against President Asaad al-Shaad, the CCA reported that more than 7000 people, mostly civilians, were massacred by government forces.
Beresa port bombing
| 2022 Beresa port bombing | |
|---|---|
 The aftermath of the bombing at the naval port in Beresa | |
| Location | Lafaille Naval Base, Beresa, Saint Croix and Bens |
| Date | October 1st, 2022 8:02 PM |
| Weapons | Ammonium nitrate explosion |
| Deaths | 988 (including the perpetrators) |
Non-fatal injuries | 2,000+ |
| Perpetrator | 6 Terehanian agents |
At 5:09 AM (SCB) on October 1st, 2022, the MIM Rhosis entered Beresa's commercial harbor, where it was checked and authorized for entry by port officials. Cargo records and a sweep check by port officials confirmed a load of chemical substance for factory use in the nearby industrial zone neighboring the port. The Rhosis was permitted to anchor at dock 6A, which sits 2 kilometers across the harbor from the Lafaille Naval Base. At 5:35 PM, the Rhosis lifted anchor and turned on its engines without consulting port authorities, and began crossing the harbor towards the naval base. Intelligence reports by SCB agencies and the Zamastanian Intelligence Service cited radio communications picked up on channels utilized primarily by Terehanian military personnel in the perimeter of the harbor only an hour prior to the explosion. While the exact location of the communications had not been determined, they did consist of a message in which individuals speaking in Terehanian confirming 'authorization to proceed'. They also confirmed that the radio communications ceased at around the same time that the barge, MNIN Rhosis, left its previously approved anchor point and began crossing the harbor into restricted waters of the naval base. This is believed to have been a confirmation between Terehanian commanders and the crew of the barge to initiate the attack.
Traveling at low speed, the boat's transponder was switched to a 'clear signal' under the SCB military's clearance, and it entered restricted base waters at 7:21 PM. At 7:49 PM, it pulled alongside the Zamastanian cruiser Grouse, adjusting positioning before dropping anchor and powering down. Its crew of six remained on board. At 7:53 PM, SCB and Zamastanian sailors on both the Grouse and the Beresi alerted base authorities that the barge had pulled up alongside the warships, and within moments security personnel arrived to the dock to investigate. One of the Rhosis' crew came out from the cabin and exchanged words with responding security officials, but refused to cast a boarding ladder for the officers to investigate, and refused to pull the boat out of its anchor spot between the warships. An argument ensued, and the crew member reentered the cabin at 7:59 PM. Surveillance footage from just prior to the explosion had been used to identify the crew member who argued with security personnel on the dock as a Terehanian national named Jaadallah al-Farid, a former-member of the Terehanian armed forces.
At 8:01 PM, the barge exploded as a result of the crew members on board detonating explosives with the cargo of ammonium nitrate. The resulting blast engulfed the port, ripping apart the adjoining warships and causing major damage to dozens of nearby vessels docked along the row. The blast sent a red-orange cloud into the air, which was briefly surrounded by a white condensation cloud. The red-orange color of the smoke was caused by nitrogen dioxide, a byproduct of ammonium nitrate decomposition. The explosion shook the central business district of Beresa, where many buildings suffered broken windows. The blast was heard as far away as the SCB capital of Saint Elmenau and the Alecburghish capital of Kynnport. Despite inefficient transmission of the shock waves into the ground, seizmologists measured the blast as a 3.3 local magnitude earthquake. Experts estimated that the explosion was one of the largest artificial non-nuclear explosions ever recorded.
The explosion overturned cars and stripped steel-framed buildings of their cladding. Within the port area, the explosion destroyed a section of shoreline and left a blast crater roughly 124 m (407 ft) in diameter and 43 m (141 ft) in depth. Homes as far as 10 kilometers (6 miles) away were damaged by the blast.
319 sailors on the Grouse were killed, at least half of them instantly, with only 11 survivors. The Beresi suffered 120 dead, with 140 other sailors aboard sustaining injuries. Both ships suffered extensive and compromising damage, and each ship sank and rested on the shallow harbor floor within 15 minutes. Because the crew of warships follow curfews as instated by their navies, most of the sailors were on board their respective vessels at the time of the blast, either in their barracks, mess halls, other recreational areas, or points of duty. The congregation of sailors in confined spaces meant the death toll was greatly increased. The Albarinean frigate AASC Cossland, docked next to the Grouse on the opposite side of the blast, also suffered severe damage and began to list. 49 Albarinean sailors were killed. On the opposite side of the Beresi, the Emmirian destroyer ENVS Baasim was heavily damaged and suffered 23 sailors killed. Several other Zamastanian navy ships were present in the harbor and suffered damage, including the Granet, Jackson, and Loan, and dozens of their crew members suffered injuries including burns and shrapnel punctures. The SCB vessel SCBN Lett was damaged extensively, suffering 60 killed. Another ship, the SCBN Hya, had its bridge face torn off by the pressure of the blast, and 19 of its sailors were killed.
Within the base, many structures including sailor barracks, munitions stores, and other buildings either collapsed or suffered extensive damage. 398 people who were within the base's perimeter (not on vessels) were killed in the blast, either as a direct result of exposure to the blast or from collapsed debris. Beresa-Hett International Airport, the city's main airport, about 10 km (6 mi) from the site of the blast, sustained moderate damage to the terminal buildings during the explosion. Doors and windows were destroyed, and ceiling tiles were shaken loose by the shockwave, severing electrical wires. Despite the damage, flights continued.
The Saint Croix and Bens government placed total deaths at 988.
Initial airstrikes and declaration of war
In the wake of the bombing, Asaad al-Shaad initially denied responsibility, claiming it was an inside job or false flag operation by the SCB government. However, evidence made public by the Zamastanian Intelligence Service and Albarine Intelligence Agency proved beyond doubt that Terehan was responsible. WEDA leaders called for a swift response, unilaterally invoking the Alabaster Treaty's article 5 which assures mutual defense between member states. In the Caspiaan capital of Viitaniemi, WEDA heads agreed to conduct substantial but confined military strikes against Terehanian air defenses and weapons manufacturing sites. On October 9th, the first wave of airstrikes began striking military positions throughout Terehan, carrying out a massive coordinated airstrike campaign against the capital of Casaat, the port cities of Catahle and Jataran, as well as facilities in Olharat. Secretary of Defense Easton Granholm named the campaign "Operation Advocate". Symbolically, SCB bombers were the first to strike, in retaliation for the attack on their nation.
Amid the bombing campaign, al-Shaad mobilized his military and admitted responsibility for the Beresa attack, saying "yes, we ordered the attack on Beresa, because those ships would have begun to attack us regardless of whether we struck them. WEDA has painted us as aggressors and would have killed us today had we not struck a deadly blow. Today, our nation is under invasion, but we will destroy invaders. Our forces are still in control and are fighting valiantly against the invaders," al-Shaad said. "If one WEDA boot of theirs touches the ground, they will be turned to blood. Our citizens, who have been slaughtered in these bombing raids, will survive and fight their attempts of occupation. I will not succumb to ridiculous aversions of theirs to step down, I am this country's hope and future. They will have to kill me to remove me, and they won't get a foot near Casaat, Jataran, Catahle, and our great cities. We will devastate them. They will perish on the rocks of our shores before they step on our sacred fields. Then when we drive them back, we will see their own cities in ruins. Tofino will be ash. Vongane will be rubble. Beresa will be a smoldering crater. Men of Terehan, take our country into your hands and defend it."
By October 13th, WEDA had established an effective no-fly zone over Terehan, and its officials claimed that the Terehanian air force had been near completely destroyed along with the majority of the country's air defense systems. Continued strikes were being flown on hourly occurances from airbases in SCB, Vorrica, and Cyruda, as well as from the Zamastanian carrier groups led by the Dubois, Aebutius, Levasseur, and the Quetanan Nicolau Silvestre. On October 15th, Congressional Hall approved a declaration of war against Terehan, which was signed by President Sabine Armitage. The vote was 192-113 along ideological lines, but passed with support of moderate Liberal bloc members. The declaration read: "that the state of war between Zamastan and the Islamic Emirate of Terehan is hereby formally declared; and the President is hereby authorized and directed to employ the entire military forces of the United States and the resources of the Government to carry on war against the Islamic Emirate of Terehan; and, to bring the conflict to a successful termination, all the resources of the country are hereby pledged by Congressional Hall of the Republic of Zamastan."
Shortly after Zamastan's resolution to declare war, many other WEDA members did the same. Vorrica was the first, with Chancellor Danio Beretta signaling that Vorrican forces would be involved in the upcoming campaign, stating "as a recent but committed member state of WEDA, we are prepared to insert our forces into this righteous conflict. Terehan's horrific regime must be removed from their bundles of power and the threats they persist must be overthrown." Kalea's parliament voted in favor of war 189-68, and Kalea committed 5,000 troops to the impending conflict. Caspiaa's declaration for war passed 397-22, the widest margin for a WEDA member state.
On October 17th, Terehan fired a series of missiles into Vorrica, hitting the cities of Viceria and Argyttos, killing 61 people. Several missiles fired towards the WEDA fleets off the Terehanian coast were shot down, though at least one vessel, the ZMS Amaury, suffered damage when a projectile hit its portside hull. Following the missile attacks, WEDA authorities decided to move up the date of the proposed amphibious invasion due to what they believed was a mounting threat of possible Terehanian counter-strikes from unknown missile locations which could not be destroyed in air campaigns.
Invasion
The amphibious assault began on the morning of October 19th, with more than 120,000 troops storming 34 beach heads throughout the coastal regions of the Terehanian peninsula. It was the largest WEDA coalition gathered for specific military engagement in the alliance's history. Participating nations in the invasion were Zamastan, Caspiaa, Quetana, Emmiria, and Albarine, joined in smaller but significant personnel roles by Saint Croix and Bens, Qolaysia, Janapa, Vitosium, Kalea, Vorrica, Cyruda, Sulifa, Rio Palito, Saint Lorrain, Saint Astaba and Beck, and East Chanchajilla.
The first forces on the ground were Albarinean and Zamastanian forces near Jataran. WEDA forces met up with rebel networks within Jataran's outer districts, who for the past week had been attempting to soften regime defenses along prospective landing sites. Facing stiff resistance, landing forces battled for hours to reach the city center in a rapid offensive, but branching out to seize the whole city proved difficult. Terehan's mandatory military conscription initiated a strict martial law throughout the country, and mobilised nearly 200,000 recruits. WEDA military officials in Jataran said much of the resistance, however intense it may have been, was from unexperienced soldiers rushed into conscription.
Violent defender resistance was not a universal welcome for WEDA forces, as many task groups entered Terehan without issue. Port Gazi, an important seaside city just south of Jataran, was a major landing site for WEDA forces and was being used as a staging ground. Effective beachheads were made at other cities throughout the coastal regions, including the northeast city of Sourt, and most importantly the major eastern port city of Catahle, whose governor defected from the regime and allied his security forces with WEDA. It was in Catahle where an attempted uprising against President Asaad al-Shaad occurred the day of the Beresa Port bombing, and the CCA's human rights watch reported that more than 7000 people, mostly civilians, were massacred by government forces.
A major goal of the task force, specifically the ones in the southwest, was securing a nuclear facility believed by the CCA to be a site for developing and testing nuclear weapons. Caspiaan forces landed Nisseaur, where they were tasked with capturing Be-Abir power plant, which was known to be a development site for al-Shaad's program. SCB forces landed at Barisha, where the beachhead of a chemical waste storage facility connected to Be-Abir's transit network was strung with mines, making the landing itself quite difficult.
By October 22nd, Jataran had been captured and Tjarin province had effectively fallen under WEDA control. Additionally, the provincial governor and commander of defending forces there, Asad Fayyaad Saah, was captured in Jataran and was transferred to a secure holding facility. Fierce resistance still remained throughout the southern highland region of Tjarin, as defending Terehanian forces were trying to prevent a combined WEDA assault into Casyta province, which houses the capital of Casaat. Terehanian leader Asaad al-Shaad's speeches attempting to rally Casaat's populace into defense were being broadcast across radio networks within the country, which WEDA cyber-defense agencies were able to block for the most part.
The Department of Defense released a list of Zamastanian casualties from the first three days of the operation, stating that 80 servicemen had been killed and at least 300 injured. Most of those killed in action were participating in the campaign to capture Jataran. President Sabine Armitage said in response to Jataran's capture "the faithful and brave sacrifice of our men and women in Terehan will never be forgotten. Their mission was completed with the ultimate payment of duty, and we will forever honor them. This is the fight for the safety of our nation and our allies in Adula and across the world. While this fight is not yet done, their brave service affirms that it soon will be."
Before the invasion, many observers had expected a longer campaign of aerial bombing before any ground action. In practice, WEDA plans envisioned simultaneous air and ground assaults to incapacitate the Terehanian forces quickly which resulted in the shock and awe military campaign attempting to bypass Terehanian military units and cities in most cases. The assumption was that superior mobility and coordination of Coalition forces would allow them to attack the heart of the Terehan command structure and destroy it in a short time, and that this would minimize civilian deaths and damage to infrastructure. It was expected that the elimination of the leadership would lead to the collapse of the Terehan Forces and the government, and that much of the population would support the invaders once the government had been weakened. Occupation of cities and attacks on peripheral military units were viewed as undesirable distractions.
However, following Tiqal and Shariati's decision to deny any official use of their territories, the Coalition was forced to modify the planned simultaneous attack from the east, west, and north by amphibious assaults. Special Operations forces from the Zamastanian Army and ZIS managed to build and lead the Terehanian resistance into an effective force and assault for the North. The primary bases for the invasion were in Vorrica and Cyruda. One result of this was that one of the divisions intended for the invasion was forced to relocate and was unable to take part in the invasion until well into the assault. Many observers felt that the Coalition devoted sufficient numbers of troops to the invasion, but too many were withdrawn after it ended, and that the failure to occupy cities put them at a major disadvantage in achieving security and order throughout the country when local support failed to meet expectations.
On October 30th, two Terehanian men opened fire in a office building in the Congressional Hall complex in Tofino, killing 6 people including congressmen Johan Faulkner and Agustin Poole. The attack spurred concerns of a wider network of Terehanian agents attempting to attack WEDA nations in retaliation for the war. On November 8th, gunmen attacked an airbase utilized by WEDA forces in Argyttos, Vorrica, killing 19 people.
Secretary of Defense Easton Granholm's briefing on November 2nd highlighted a grim casualty count for Zamastanian forces in the ongoing WEDA coalition campaign in Terehan, stating that 210 servicemen and women have been killed in the fighting so far. While many anticipated a high casualty count early on in the invasion, the level of Zamastanian casualties compared to other WEDA nations was striking, with more than triple the amount killed in action. In comparison, other WEDA forces have lost a combined 59 soldiers thus far; Emmirian forces have lost 20 troops, the second most of the WEDA nations including Zamastan. Quetana has lost 17, Kalea has lost 12, Qolaysia has lost 5, Caspiaa has lost 4, and SCB has lost 1. Despite the saddening toll, Granholm and other military officials insist the invasion operations are proceeding faster than anticipated, and with more efficiency than what was expected at this stage.
Capture of Casaat
See also: Battle of Casaat
On November 11th, WEDA forces captured the town of Qidaru, directly to the north of Casaat. This was the prelude to the seige of Casaat, which began almost immediately. Though initial gains in the campaign were swifter than anticipated, the ground campaign had slowed as regime resistance mounted around the capital. On the 13th, Tiqal's government announced that WEDA forces would be granted temporary use of six military facilities within the country "until the al-Asaad regime is removed and replaced," with President Abdil Basar welcoming the decision.
WEDA forces first entered the eastern edge of Casaat on November 13th, after the nearby suburb of Qidaru fell to a joint Albarine-Zamastanian assault. WEDA forces began pushing into Casaat proper, but by the 17th had only advanced just over three kilometres into the city. Both sides had been firing mortar rounds and automatic weapons, while WEDA troops also responded with artillery. Meanwhile, on the city's southern front, WEDA forces and their Terehanian resistance allies were still around 20 kilometres from the city center. The regime loyalists had plenty of time to erect fortifications — trenches and berms turned the streets and alleys of a neighborhood named after the dictator into a maze, and concrete blast walls blocked off access to other areas. "Al-Shaad's fighters have dug trenches that they filled with water, and they have a lot of suicide attackers and car bombs," said one Quetanan Lieutenant Colonel. Earlier, on a visit to the eastern battle front, Terehanian resistance leader Amir al Abadi said he brought "a message to the residents inside Casaat who hostages in the hands of the regime — we will liberate you soon".
Al Abadi said progress in the nearly month-old campaign, and the advance into Casaat itself, had been faster than expected. However, in the face of fierce resistance including suicide car bombings, sniper fire and roadside bombs, he suggested that progress may be intermittent. "Our heroic forces will not retreat and will not be broken. Maybe in the face of terrorist acts, criminal acts, there will be some delay," he said.
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On November 18th, a suicide attacker detonated an ambulance packed with explosives in the WEDA-occupied neighborhood of Qall, killing at least nine people. A spokesman for WEDA forces in the province said the bomber rammed his explosive-laden car into the main checkpoint at the southern entrance of the area during rush hour. He said five female students, a woman and three WEDA soldiers (2 Zamastanian, 1 Caspiaan) were killed, while 25 other people were wounded. No individual group claimed responsibility for the attacks, but insurgent militants aligned with the regime had claimed multiple similar attacks. The insurgents had begun frequently launching attacks targeting WEDA forces and civilians in public areas, raising concerns that an insurgency would grow following the capture of Casaat. Army units pushing into the south-eastern Aydat al-Mufti area had been stalled because of suicide bombers and congrested civilian populations. according to the military. In addition to the thousands of WEDA troops involved in the operation, about 50,000 Terehanian resistance forces personnel, revolution fighters, Sunni tribesmen and Shia militiamen were involved in the operation to drive the regime out of their last major urban stronghold in the country, and overthrow and capture Asaad al-Shaad.
Intense fighting persisted throughout the remainder of November and well into December. Casaat suffered serious damage to its civilian infrastructure, economy, and cultural inheritance from the battle and following unrest, including from looting and arson. On December 15th, Zamastanian troops took control of a major presidential palace along the Caatid river. It had been hoped that leaders of the regime would be found in the complex, located near Asaad al-Shaad's home town of Iriban. Zamastanian commanders on the ground said that they would remain in the city center rather than return to the outskirts as they had done previously. Within hours of a palace seizure and with television coverage of this spreading through Terehan, Zamastanian forces ordered Terehanian regime forces within Casaat to surrender, or the city would face a full-scale bombardment. The city surrendered, as regime government officials had either disappeared or had conceded defeat.
Secretary of Defense Easton Granholm announced on December 15th that Casaat had been captured and the goal of WEDA in Terehan would now be to occupy and provide security for the populace, as the alliance sought to rebuild and assist in the formation of a transitional interim government. Granholm also somberly stated that the death toll of Zamastanian troops had climbed to 570, with WEDA forces as a whole having lost nearly a thousand soldiers.
Occuptation and insurgency
After the fall of Casaat, WEDA forces began settling into an occupational position in order to maintain security and oversee the transition of an interim government. Secretary Granholm stated "it is imperative that we capture every regime official who remains uncaptured." However, he sited the complications in the conflict, stating "it is frankly upsetting that the operation, which we initially had seen great speed and success in, has since been hindered with slow and minimal results."
Following the battle for Casaat, insurgent attacks against Coalition forces and the civilian population increased dramatically. On the morning of December 16th, at least 60 people were killed in two attacks in Jataran when a suicide bomber detonated a vest and gunmen opened fire inside a restaurant near a WEDA security checkpoint. Soon afterwards, a car bomb exploded at a the checkpoint itself, claiming the lives of at least 11 Zamastanian and Quetanan soldiers. The so-called Islamic Terehanian Alliance State (ITAS) insurgent group said it carried out the attacks. 50 civilians were killed by the suspected militants. According to officials, one report said the attackers were disguised as members of Gehan al-Shaabi (Popular Mobilisation) - a mainly Shia group that fought alongside WEDA forces against the regime.
By mid-December 2022, the regime's conventional forces were all but defeated, and their remaining straglers were enduring defeat after defeat on front lines. However, some groups formed pockets of resistance in the form of sporadically located insurgencies, and they remained capable of launching devastating assaults on soft targets. Most attacks occured in civilian areas, where WEDA officials stated more than 3,000 civilians have been killed by regime-loyalists since the fighting began.
On December 5th, the highest ranking Kalean commander in the coalition, Colonel Kauhale Pilialoha, was killed in a suicide attack by ITAS insurgents.
Caught up in criticism over the war and a looming vote of no-confidence in Congressional Hall due to the SanCorp scandal, President Armitage fired Secretary of Defense Granholm on January 14th, promoting Deputy-Secretary of Defense Harold Casey to the post. Casey's appointment came with immediate and much needed victories for the coalition, specifically in the capturing of prominent ousted government figures like Abdul Haafil Wakim, who had been suspected of carrying out chemical attacks on civilians in the early 2000s.
On January 16th, Siniapore's President Tee Hsien Moong and Shoassau's Prime Minister William Eurenne called on WEDA to withdraw, while Quetana's National Assembly voted to continue military operations, with President Emília Medeiros vowing that "the conflict will continue until Asaad al-Shaad is captured". Similar referendums were held in Caspiaa, Emmiria, and Albarine.
Capturing former government leaders
In the winter of 2022-23, the multinational forces focused on capturing the remaining leaders of the former government. In all, over 300 top leaders of the former government were killed or captured, as well as numerous lesser functionaries and military personnel.
Most significantly, al-Shaad himself was captured on February 26th 2023, in a compound near Adiofa. Intelligence on al-Shaad's whereabouts came from his family members and former bodyguards. With the capture of al-Shaad and a drop in the number of insurgent attacks, some concluded that multinational forces were prevailing in the fight against the insurgency. The provisional government began training the new Terehanian security forces intended to police the country, and WEDA promised over Z20 billion in reconstruction money in the form of a credit against Terehan's future oil revenues. Oil revenue was also used for rebuilding schools and for work on the electrical and refining infrastructure.
Insurgency expands
The start of 2023 was marked by a significant increase in violence, but the capture of al-Shaad created a relative lull in fighting. Insurgent forces reorganised during this time, studying the multinational forces' tactics and planning a renewed offensive. On February 18th, a mob of around 6,000 people attacked the WEDA headquarters in Casaat as part of nationwide demonstrations against the occupation.
As the insurgency grew there was a distinct change in targeting from the coalition forces towards the new Terehan Security Forces, as hundreds of Terehanian civilians and police were killed over the next few months in a series of massive bombings. An organized insurgency, with deep roots and both nationalist and Islamist motivations, was becoming more powerful throughout Terehan. Islamic Terehanian Alliance State (ITAS) also began launching attacks on coalition targets in an attempt to seize control from Terehanian security forces. The southern and central portions of Terehan were beginning to erupt in urban guerrilla combat as multinational forces attempted to keep control and prepared for a counteroffensive.
On March 26th, a suicide bombing at a barracks in Jataran killed 61 Caspiaan and 2 Zamastanian soldiers in the deadliest single incident in the war up to that point.
Reaction
Opposition
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Shortly following the initial airstrikes of the war, and immediately after the October 19th invasion, many large demonstrations in protest of the war sprung up around the world, particularly in WEDA countries.
In Arinals, Zian more than 50,000 people rallied in opposition to the war. Some demonstrations demanded the resignation of President Armitage, as well as members of congress from both sides of the aisle who voted in favor of expanding military action. Police detained at least 100 protestors in Alanis, and in Tregueux and Anchorhead at least 6 people were injured in clashes between counter-protest groups. Crowds gathered outside Speaker Fletcher's home in central Tofino. Demonstrators carried both Zamastanian and Terehanian flags in a show of unity. Police in riot gear were stationed near the protests.
"We're not here to support Terehan and the crimes of its regime," said one demonstrator, "we're here to call for an end to our bombs dropping on innocent civilians. Women and children are being killed by us in a war that had nothing to do with us if we had just left the region alone."
On October 20th, a stage, big screen and massive sound system were set up in front of Congressional Hall in Tofino as Majority Leader Joyce Hess (GLP) and Majority Whip Sidqi Kamali (PPZ), both of whom voted against the declaration of war, joined the protests. Representative Kamali said that he hoped 100,000 people would attend the rally, but even a tenth of that would send a powerful message. "We're opposed to this war," Majority Whip Kamali said, "and yes, the crimes of al-Shaad are attrocious, and we abhore the terror he has perpetrated. But we are not anti-patriotic for wanting no war. In fact we are the most patriotic for not wanting to send our brothers and sisters of Zamastan into a war in which they will lose their lives. As long as the weather remains warm and dry, waiting to demonstrate should be no great hardship, and we demand the end to this conflict."
After the month-long battle of Casaat, critics called the military operation a failure as high ranking regime officials like Nuru Hossam Hajjar, Houman Medo Awad, Asad Fayyaad Saah, and Abdul Haafil Wakim remained illusive and continued to avoid capture. Specifically, Asaad al-Shaad, the number one target of WEDA forces, had not been seen since the first days of the war, and fled Casaat according to senior WEDA officials. After his capture, the calls for a complete withdrawal from Terehan escalated.