After Action Report on the Floralpattern Convoy Ambush, Z155

FROM: Frank Buck, Team Commander, IFU

TO: Leon Mack-Duff, Mission Director, IFU

DATE: D+13 [3211.372]

An ambush was initiated against the convoy moving First Minister Floralpattern from his residence to the Government Buildings at approximately 0930 this morning.

The initial ambush was triggered by 10 Special Forces plus myself who had infiltrated to within line of sight of the residence (around 50m, with two troopers on the Northbound road, another two on the edge of the garden and the remainder in between about 40m from the road-line).

The 28 HMA in support were around 150m behind us in extended line waiting for the signal to move forwards.

The exit point from the residence was guarded by a sangar with a squad of militia inside (mainly armed with Assault rifles). The convoy consisted of three vehicles, lead by an armoured vehicle and backed by a technical. The Floralpattern vehicle being in the middle. Further enemy forces were in the house and in a number of sangars and vehicle checkpoints up the road. In all there was about a Battalion strength within 300m of the house.

We intended to engage the lead and backing vehicle and the sangar with LAW and small arms. Two men were assigned to each of the vehicles and three to the sangar. The remaining three with the commander were assigned to deal with the principal vehicle. We had a stinger vehicle immobilisation device and also engaged the engine block with 2 x Armour Piercing snipers. A CS gas grenade was also employed to incapacitate anyone attempting to move without a respirator.

The sangar and rear vehicle were destroyed as planned, although most of the troops in the sangar continued to fight. The front vehicle was missed by both LAW and small arms, and retaliated with HMG fire. The two AP shots to the engine hit the centre vehicle but the stinger missed, hitting the main body rather than lying under the tyres. However this caused the vehicle to crash. One soldier exited the rear vehicle and two civilians the centre vehicle. The forward team retained their composure despite the HMG fire and called in ATGW to destroy the armoured vehicle before it could escape. Two soldiers were seen to exit that vehicle.

The snatch squad moved forward, through the fire swept zone, to get hands on the occupants of the middle vehicle. During this both myself and Dave were hit, although both of us were only scratched and are now fine. The left flank troopers closed on the bunker and dealt with the escapee from the rear vehicle. The right flank engaged the escapers from the lead vehicle, taking one down.

The two remaining members of the snatch squad reached the middle vehicle and were engaged in melee by the two civilians, one of whom repelled the assault briefly, although the other was very rapidly over-powered. The sangar defenders took another casualty and then the HMA back up force came through the trees to meet up with us.

We recovered the casualties and prisoners from the centre vehicle, disarmed the surrendered local forces and evacuated our wounded. In securing the crash scene we noted that there were civilian hostages around the Floralpattern residence and also more troops guarding it.

At the same time as the ambush was triggered we fired 10 mortar rounds at each of the Government Buildings and the Crusader Corps HQ, mainly using WP smoke to cause maximum confusion.

As per the plan we evacuated to the RV with the hover APCs and sorted out our prisoners. We had captured a bodyguard and a driver. Two casualties were also recovered, another guard (in Crusader Corps uniform) and what appeared to be the First Minister Floralpattern.

As we were moving towards the RV the First Minister made a live broadcast deploring the attack on his residence. We immediately fired another mortar round in the vicinity of the residence to confirm whether or not that was a likely broadcast location. Our view was that he was not broadcasting from there, and that the person we ambushed was a body double rather than the real FM Floralpattern. Human Intelligence sources have since reported that Floralpattern is most likely to be in a secret bunker below the Government Buildings.

We are remaining on the surface pending more information and a second operation to capture Floralpattern alive.

Frank Buck
Director, Interstellar Freelance Unlimited