Surgical Strike: Madagascar

[shark]

Hey, I figured I'd give one of you battlemods a chance to do a surgical strike. They're always lots of fun Make sure you set your difficulty dial to 11.

This is the most clandestine of missions, under 50 people in the Imperial Administration know about it, including IWIS operatives. This number is subject to shrink as seasonal political executions make their rounds. Officially, this attack is being carried out by an African Terrorist cell called the Democratic African Revolutionary Coalition.

Under cover of darkness, 20 IWIS EPDRs and 10 IWIS VEHRs will infiltrate the city of Antananarivo. Their goal is to plant explosives throughout the city, hopefully causing maximum damage to civilian population. (whoever is modding can pick the locations, or if you are too lazy i will) All operatives are carrying DARC identification and are instructed to use incendiary grenades to destroy the bodies of their comrades should they fall in combat.

If this operation succeeds, Imperial forces will occupy the nation in leu of TREX peacekeepers, and take control of the island nation.

[asrodrig]

Despite the excellence of MEE, exact numbers of guards in the city are impossible to obtain, due to poor management since the APA lost control of the island in '69. However, rough estimates have been made by inside operatives. Any kerfuffle that is not immediately silenced will draw attention, and ultimately lead to resistance in the form of the Antananarivo Police Corp. You could, however, use this to your advantage, and set an elaborate trap, eliminating the AnPoCo in one fell swoop.

You will first have to enter the city from the east. The land is hilly, so you will have sufficient cover, but there is a fort with a half dozen guards stationed, all armed with assault rifles, all likely salvaged from before the 2nd African Continental Civil War. For now, their attention is fixated on an adult film, but any noise will alert them to your position.

Upon entering the city, there will be four main areas to plant your explosives:

• Andafiavaratra Palace - this area houses the country's government, and thus must be eliminated in order to take control.
  The palace is situated on the highest hill in the city, and is surrounded by a tall fence, with a gate at the northernmost point. The gate is guarded by a pair of guards, but unlike their friends at the fort, they are attentive, and will not hesitate to call for backup. In addition, there is a lone guard who patrols the perimeter.
  
• Analakely market - even at night, this area is literally teeming with people. The Black Market operates here, and Black Market operatives, who fancy themselves gangsters, will oppose a foreign takeover. There are virtually no guards, and Black Market operatives are unlikely to notify authorities, but they will return fire if fired upon.
  
• Ankazolava Hab Blocks - This area represents the most dense population of civilians. It is a large area, so multiple explosives may be necessary. It is situated near the Ikopa River. There is a moderate amount of guards, but they are overworked and underpaid, and many are sleeping on the job.
  
• Ivato International Airport - This is the island's largest and busiest airport. Civilian casualties here will draw global attention to DARC, ensuring an easy takeover for The Empire. The area is heavily guarded, and well lit, with few natural hiding spots.

Also keep in mind that your units are racing the clock. If the sun rises before your troops complete their mission, they will fail.
Should the authorities be notified, they will arrive from the West. Intel is unable to identify exact numbers, but it is guaranteed that you will be outnumbered at least two to one.

[shark]

IWIS troopers are to keep to the shadows, keeping to back alleys when possible. All rifles are equipped with suppressors and loaded with subsonic rounds. Keeping concealed in the eastern suburbs of Antananarivo shouldn't be a problem.
5 VEHR riflemen will scout out the Palace from nearby cover. It is of utmost importance that the infiltration of the palace goes unnoticed, as the ideal time to strike the government house would be when it is in session. The marksmen will simply observe for this round, they are looking for gaps in the fence, blind spots for the guards, or possible stealthy entrances. They will of course stay out of sight.
Meanwhile, 8 EPDR Troopers will make their way to the market. They will be dressed in the traditional robes of the Muslims that make up about 7% of the city, giving them room for compact rifles and gear without drawing excessive attention. They will drive 2 cars into the crowded markets, one of which is packed with stabilized White Phosphorus and anti-tamper detonators. This car is to be parked behind a shop, whose owner has been promised a modest bribe for his discretion. The other car is loaded with cocaine. AnPoCo and 2 rival gangs are informed of the existence of the cocaine via anonymous tip, with the hope that the ensuing shit-show will both distract the Empire's targets and make the situation in Madagascar look even more deserving of Imperial intervention.

The rest of the troopers will make their way to Ankazolava, DMRs will moniter AnPoCo movements and keep their team-mates posted to ensure stealth.

[asrodrig]

Your soldiers are able to enter the city without incident. One guard, by luck alone, takes his eyes off the entertainment and catches the slightest of shadows, but assumes it's a cat of some sort.
Upon receiving the tip about the cocaine car, AnPoCo sends a large dispatch to the scene. Rightfully nervous about the Black Marketeers, they send a substantial force. Four armored vehicles, bearing between them forty SMG-wielding riot police blaze through the crowded market knocking over a fruit stand on the way. Upon arriving at the scene, AnPoCo sees that the Black Marketeers had arrived first. Upon being ordered to stand down, they open fire on the police, and a vicious gunfight breaks out. Civilians and livestock are caught in the crossfire as nearly sixty armed thugs appear from alleys and shady kiosks. The chaos continues as a pair of box trucks speed into the middle of the fight, and a further fifty armed gang members enter the fray. As the three-way battle rages, reinforcements are requested by AnPoCo. Because the station is a fair distance away, they will not arrive for another turn.
Because of the panicked flood of people running from the scene, your soldiers will be unperturbed if they also flee. On the other hand, if they remain at the scene, they will draw suspicion.
Meanwhile, at the palace, your soldiers are unable to locate any sort of weakness in the fence. Units positioned near the guardhouse are able to pick up on the schedule of the guards, however. While one guard circles the perimeter, the other two guard the gate. After about half an hour, they rotate, allowing each to have an hour's rest in between making rounds about the fence line. During their rounds, they make radio contact every ten minutes to ensure the all's well.

[shark]

With chaos and blood running throughout the markets, IWIS operators are to flee the area with the crowds. Ideally, they will make their way deeper into the city. 2 VEHR Riflemen are to stand watch in concealed positions, monitoring the battle between the market gangs and AnPoCo. They have remote detonation access to the car if needed.

Maintaining disguise, IWIS troopers infiltrate the Ankazolava Blocks. Teams of 2 are sent to infiltrate apartment complexes. From dark back alleys, they are to find open or screen covered windows (there are likely some in this warm city). Teams will breach in quickly and quietly, cleaning out a single apartment in at least 5 buildings. Civilians will be killed quickly, sleeping if possible. The apartments will be locked, and White Phosphorous will be loaded in through the windows. 4 DMRs will stand watch from the shadows. If the IWIS operatives move quickly, they should be able to evade detection by the sluggish Ankazolava guards.

Meanwhile, VEHR riflemen hidden around the palace will prepare for synchronized shots on the 3 palace guards. This will be used as a last resort. 2 EPDR troopers will time an an attempt over the fence. They will try to sneak over while the patrol is halfway across the grounds, and then break into the building. Of course, they will try to leave as little evidence of their actions as possible. Once inside, the troopers will plant White phosphorus in the main hall, where politicians meet. If they are detected throughout this endeavour, VEHR riflemen will fire on the guards.

[asrodrig]

Sirens ablaze, police reinforcements arrive on the scene. Five more armored cars, and fifty more officers quickly turn the tide of the fight, and both gangs are driven off after suffering mass casualties. With the fighting abated, shop-owners and civilians are beginning to make their way back to the market area. However, fear brought haste to the people, and they are scattered for many kilometers. It will be some time before the area around the rigged cars is full of civilians. The AnPoCo casualties number at 27, which means in total there are 63 officers in the area. This represents nearly all AnPoCo field officers. Should you neutralize them now, AnPoCo will pose little threat to your other objectives. If you wait, more people will return to the area, and thus will fall victim to your trap, but it is likely that your two riflemen will be discovered (this will not result in a failed mission, as they will be mistaken for DARC agents).
Meanwhile, in the Ankazolava Blocks, the teams proceed without incident. Many of the residents of the hab blocks are asleep, and will now forever remain that way thanks to Imperial knives.
Despite all stealth, one of your soldiers is detected by a guard, who unexpectedly steps out of an alleyway after relieving himself behind a dumpster. He manages a single shot from his pistol before a round from a PDR silences him. The shot misses the soldier, but the loud report carries in the warm night air. Half a dozen guards, alerted to the sound of gunfire, are en route and will be here next turn.
At the palace, your men attempt to climb over the fence, but are noticed by the two guards in the guardhouse. They manage little more than a shout before they are brought down by your marksmen, but the third guard will arrive at the house next turn and will definitely notice their expiration. Despite this setback, one of your men pinches the keycard off a dead guard's body, allowing them to deactivate the alarm system and enter the building with ease.
By this time, it is approximately 2 am. Assuming it is June in Madagascar, the sun will be up in about 4 hours.

[shark]

At the palace, the third guard is to be quickly and silently executed. All three guards will be stored inside the palace. Explosives are to be planted, and the troopers are to make their way to the airport and wait for their teammates.

The two marksmen in the marketplace have done their duty. They are ordered to make their way back to extraction, to the east of the city.

In Ankazolava, the dead guard will be hidden. The commanding officer will take his radio to monitor the AnPoCo's awareness of the situation. All operatives are then to converge at the airport.

[asrodrig]

The troops at the palace carry forth their plan without any further dilemmas, successfully hiding the bodies inside the palace.
The two marksmen in the marketplace also safely return to the extraction point having completed their mission in the marketplace.
In Ankazolava, the guards are unable to find the source of the gunshot sound, and after coming to the conclusion that it was a car's engine backfiring, they move on.
The airport will prove to be the most difficult portion of this assignment. There is surveillance all over the facility, and armed guards are present at major locations. As the sun comes up, planting explosives unnoticed will be even more difficult, especially once the night crew is replaced by the fresh-faced day crew.