Chapter 1342
The Vanished Special Forces Team
Chapter 1342 The Vanished Special Forces Team
The ambush point is 50 kilometers east of Kirkuk.
Time: 05:47 local time.
Song Heping lay prone in a natural rock crevice on the reverse slope of the ridgeline, his right eye pressed against the eyepiece of the AN/PAS-13 thermal imaging observation instrument, the screen glowing with a faint green light.
The thermal imager filtered out the interference of the dense fog, presenting the scene of the dry riverbed below in the form of temperature difference color blocks—seven clear heat source signals are bumping along the ancient riverbed.
Three Mercedes-Benz G500 military armored off-road vehicles, their body outlines appearing quite different from civilian models under thermal imaging, exhibiting a heavy and angular appearance due to the difference in heat insulation caused by multi-layered composite armor and bulletproof glass.
Ten armed pickup trucks formed a protective ring, with DShK 12.7mm heavy machine guns and PKM 7.62mm general-purpose machine guns mounted on the truck beds.
The convoy was traveling at a speed of approximately 55 kilometers per hour.
"coming."
Song Heping breathed a sigh of relief.
It seems that the Americans' intelligence was accurate this time.
"Attention all groups, target has entered area A. Repeat, target has entered the pre-designated ambush area, area A."
His voice was transmitted through a jawbone conduction microphone, modulated by an encrypted frequency-hopping radio, and then transmitted to every earphone distributed throughout the valley.
"Fire support team received. Stable observation established."
The response came from thirty meters to the left front.
Jiang Feng was completely encased in a specially made gray-brown ghillie suit, almost blending into the weathered limestone beneath him. Even if you got within five meters, it would be difficult to tell that he was a living person.
In front of him, a heavily modified Accuracy International AXMC sniper rifle was steadily mounted on a flat granite slab.
.
The .338 Lapua Magnum caliber, match-grade stainless steel heavy-duty free-floating barrel, and titanium alloy receiver were all personally tuned to their limits by Jiang Feng.
The barrel was wrapped with camouflage strips soaked in mud to suppress the effects of heat haze and dust on the scope's line of sight.
The angle of the bipod is precisely calculated to ensure that the gun body can return to its preset trajectory under the recoil after firing.
Jiang Feng controlled his breathing very well.
With only four complete respiratory cycles per minute, the heart rate drops to below fifty beats per minute, and all the muscles in the body are in the most stable and relaxed state.
This is the secret to maintaining peak performance for top snipers during long waits and the crucial moment of a fatal strike.
"Thermal signal is stable. Environmental parameters: wind direction southeast, gusts, wind speed 2-4 m/s, average 3. Humidity 72%, temperature 4 degrees Celsius. 285 meters distance, correction 0.2 mils to the left, 0.1 mils to the bottom."
Jiang Feng's voice came through the radio, each syllable as precise as if measured with calipers, devoid of any personal emotion, just pure data flow.
This mission is very important.
Jiang Feng, as the leader of the fire support team, also had to personally take charge and control the situation perfectly at critical moments.
"Received. Keep locked."
Song Heping's gaze never left the observation instrument.
"Abyu, report on the status of the assault team."
After a brief radio silence, Abuyu's deliberately lowered voice came through the headset:
"Assault teams one through four, a total of twenty people, are all in position."
"very good."
Song Heping's gaze followed the slowly moving convoy in the thermal image.
"Remember the priorities: First, ensure the absolute safety of 'Elder' (Masood's code name); second, try to capture 'Target A' (Barzani) alive. The dead can only bear the guilt in their graves, while the living can confess in military courts and repent in front of television cameras."
"Understood, capture alive is the priority."
Abuyu's response was brief and forceful.
The convoy crawled to the narrowest point of the canyon, where the riverbed was less than twenty meters wide and the rock walls on both sides were as steep as if cut by a knife.
The lead vehicle suddenly braked, its tires screeching on the gravel.
The entire convoy stopped one by one.
The rear door of the black Mercedes-Benz G500 in the middle was suddenly pushed open from the inside.
Barzani was the first to get off the train.
He turned around roughly, reached into the car, grabbed Masoud's arm, and roughly pulled him out like a sack of grain.
Masoud was dragged out of the car, cursing angrily.
But it's useless.
Faced with overwhelming force, the supreme leader of the Kold'd forces was as weak as a helpless chick.
"Adil Hills..."
Masoud's gaze swept around before finally settling on his nephew.
"This is the canyon left by our ancestors, a testament to the blood we shed fighting against Saddam Hussein, a testament to our sacrifices in resisting '1515'. Today, are you going to choose to kill me here and bear the stigma of history? Is this the result you want?! Barzani!"
"result?!"
Barzani's roar suddenly exploded:
“What I’m seeking is what I deserve! What I earned with my blood and my life! Thirty years, Uncle! From the swamps outside Mosul, to the burning oil rigs in the Kirkuk oil fields, to the corpses of the slaughtered Yazidis on Sinjar Mountain… which of the bloodiest, most desperate battles wasn’t fought for you?! Every inch of your scepter is soaked in the blood of my men! And now? Now you’re going to kick me while I’m down? You think I don’t know? You’re going to go back and convene a military council to dismiss me from all my posts like a rag?”
Masoud listened quietly to his nephew's roar, the deep sorrow in his eyes gradually replaced by cold disappointment.
He slowly shook his head: "Remove from office? Barzani, if you were merely incompetent, I would have allowed you to retire. But you are a traitor! You risked the future of our entire nation for your own ambition! Wake up, you fool! Do you really think that surviving in the Erbil region is just about the few battles you fought? Geopolitical games aren't just about fists! No matter how big your fists are, how come you couldn't even wipe out the 1515 militia?! Your strength doesn't match your ambition! Ambition without the support of strength will only bring disaster!"
"I'm not doing this for ambition, not for power!"
Barzani's face turned purplish-red.
Masoud described his coup motives as the lure of "ambition" and "power," which greatly disarmed him.
"I'm doing this for the future of Koldestan! Without the courage to fight and kill, what good are your lukewarm negotiations and compromises? What good are your begging to those Ten Aye politicians in Bakda? They will never give us true autonomy! Only toughness! Only by showing everyone our strength and determination, showing everyone that we will stop at nothing!"
"Independence is not about betraying national interests!"
Massoud's voice suddenly rose: "You are blinded by power and ambition, and your recklessness is dragging our nation's century-old dream into a dead end! You are not building Koldestan, you are digging her grave with your own hands!"
"A grave? Hahahaha!"
Barzani let out a series of maniacal laughs, and his finger suddenly jabbed into Massoud's chest:
"You're senile! You're the one who can't see reality! This world only respects the strong! And I will be that strong one! As for you... you and your outdated, weak diplomacy will only keep us forever dependent on others! Since you're blocking my way, since you're going to take action against me after the withdrawal meeting..."
His facial muscles twitched, revealing a desperate ruthlessness: "Then don't blame me for getting there first. You're ruthless, so I'll be ruthless too. You forced me into this!"
He gave Masoud one last look, his eyes filled with a complex mix of lingering affection, burning hatred, greed for power, and a desperate resolve.
Then, with a sudden wave of his hand, as decisively as shooing away flies, he shouted: "Close it! Lock the doors! Now!"
Four fully armed guards immediately stepped forward.
Two men roughly twisted Masoud's arms behind his back, while two others opened the car door and shoved Masoud back into the back seat like cargo.
The heavy Mercedes door slammed shut with a dull thud.
Immediately afterwards, a clear "click" sounded as the electronic lock was activated. This was a military-grade multi-point locking system specially made by the German manufacturer. Once activated, it would be difficult to open in a short time even if directional explosives were used from the outside.
Barzani stepped back more than 30 meters, seemingly wanting to maintain a safe, psychological distance from the scene of the impending "accident".
He took an M-250 military encrypted frequency-hopping walkie-talkie from the pale-faced adjutant beside him.
Then take a deep breath and press the call button on the side:
"Lynx One, Lynx One, this is Eagle. Target has been moved to the 'safe,' Operation 'Funeral' is ready. Repeat, Operation 'Funeral' is to be executed immediately. Authorization code: Delta-Zulu-7-9-3."
There was a brief pause.
The walkie-talkie only emitted the hissing white noise characteristic of encrypted channels.
After waiting for about ten seconds, Barzani frowned, and fine beads of sweat appeared on his forehead.
He pressed the call button again, a barely perceptible hint of anxiety and urgency in his voice:
"Lynx One! Respond immediately! I order you to use the 'Kornet' to destroy target vehicle number one immediately! This is the final order! Answer me!"
There was still only silence.
The silence, like a rising tide of ice water, began to overwhelm Barzani's feigned composure. He looked around at the undulating hills, which should have been the trigger point for his carefully laid death trap, but now there was only deathly stillness and obscurity.
Is the coordinate system wrong?!
"Verify the coordinates! Quickly!"
He received a reply quickly.
The coordinates are correct.
The location is correct.
The location is also fine.
An ominous premonition gripped his heart like a ghostly hand.
Behind a crevice in the rocks on the reverse slope of the ridge, Song Heping's lips twitched up very slightly, revealing a cold smile.
"You can't wake a dead person."
Jiang Feng's voice rang out in the encrypted channel.
Through his Schmidt & Bender PM II 5-25x56 high-magnification scope, the crosshairs in the center of the mil-dot reticle were firmly positioned over the head of the machine gunner not far behind Barzani.
Wind speed, humidity, distance, corrections...
All the data has been processed in my mind and transformed into minute adjustments like muscle memory.
With your index finger lightly placed on the first trigger point of the two-stage firing mechanism, and only about 500 grams of pressure applied, the hammer will be released, the firing pin will ignite the primer, and death will roar out along the calculated parabola.
"Be patient."
Song Heping's gaze swept across the Mercedes-Benz locked with Masoud on the thermal imaging screen. The car body appeared as a dark blue outline in the low-temperature environment, but the heat source signal inside the passenger compartment was clear.
"Wait until the 'Elder' is completely isolated inside the vehicle before making your move. The vehicle's bulletproof rating is sufficient to provide him with optimal cover during the initial firefight. What we need is a 'precise' rescue, not a chaotic skirmish."
At this moment, Barzani, standing on the riverbed below, had fully realized that something was amiss.
The Lynx team's radio silence was part of the plan, but it was impossible that there was still no response after he called them repeatedly with the highest priority!
Cold sweat instantly soaked through his inner lining.
He whirled around and yelled at the top of his lungs at the guards who were peering out warily, "Something's up—"
As he issued the warning, Song Heping's voice was clearly transmitted to the ears of every infiltrator through the encrypted channel:
"Attention all units, Operation 'Guardian' has commenced. Firepower teams, proceed with the pre-arranged kill list. Assault teams, prepare for support. Operation."
"receive."
Jiang Feng's response was almost simultaneous with the order.
His index finger pressed down steadily and firmly on the second flame.
boom--!
On either side of the muzzle brake of the AXMC sniper rifle, intense propellant gases violently erupt, forming two distinct cone-shaped fireballs.
The 16.2-gram .338 Lapua Magnum copper jacket hollow-point projectile spun out of the rifling at an initial velocity of 915 meters per second.
Almost at the same microsecond that Jiang Feng fired his gun, muffled gunshots rang out almost simultaneously from another pre-positioned sniper position on the north side and from the third sniper point on the higher point on the south slope!
Jiang Feng coordinated the firing of three sniper rifles from different positions and of different models, resulting in a perfect synchronized salvo!
Time seemed to be torn apart and stretched by sniper bullets:
The first .338 caliber bullet fired by Jiang Feng accurately hit the main gunner in Barzani's guard, who had mounted the PKM general-purpose machine gun on the hood of his pickup truck, after flying for approximately 0.31 seconds.
The bullet entered his raised right eye socket, and the hollow structure expanded and tumbled instantly inside his skull, releasing all the kinetic energy in the most savage way.
A huge hole, big enough to fit a fist, exploded in the back of his head. A red and white paste, a mixture of bone fragments, brain tissue, and blood, sprayed backward in a fan shape, covering the bulletproof steel plate on the front of the pickup truck and emitting wisps of heat in the morning light.
The shooter's body fell like a limp shrimp with its bones removed, his finger still on the trigger, the muzzle of the gun unconsciously rising upwards, firing a string of stray bullets into the sky.
The second .50 BMG bullet, fired from the north slope, tore through the air and struck the lead car of the convoy, a Mercedes G500 that should have been carrying Barzani's confidant Rashid.
The specially designed .50 caliber anti-materiel warhead easily penetrated the multi-layered composite bulletproof glass and exploded in the center of the driver's chest.
The immense impact threw him backward from the driver's seat, slamming him into the B-pillar. His chest almost completely collapsed, and his spine was broken.
A horrifying bullet hole with radiating edges was left in the car window, surrounded by spiderweb-like cracks.
The third 7.62×51mm incendiary bomb came from the high point on the south slope.
It didn't aim at the personnel, but instead fired into the back of the pickup truck that was carrying spare ammunition.
boom--! ! !
A fireball, a thousand times brighter than a rifle shot, suddenly rose from the back of the pickup truck!
The temperature at the core of the explosion instantly exceeded 3,000 degrees Celsius, and the ammunition in the truck bed exploded instantly under the high temperature of the incendiary bomb.
The expanding fireball, exceeding fifteen meters in diameter, engulfed the entire pickup truck and everything within a ten-meter radius.
Pre-fabricated fragments and vehicle debris shot out in all directions at speeds exceeding two thousand meters per second, creating a deadly metal storm.
Another pickup truck next to it was flipped over like a toy car, tumbling half a circle in the air before crashing heavily onto the hard rocks of the riverbed with a tooth-grinding thud.
The twisted and deformed fuel tank ruptured, and the leaking diesel fuel was ignited by sparks, triggering a secondary explosion. Another fireball rose up, igniting nearby dry grass and bushes.
"Enemy attack! On the hillside at three o'clock!"
"Sniper! Take cover!"
"Medics! We need medics here!"
"Counterattack! Damn it! Fire on the north slope!"
Barzani's guards were, after all, elite troops who had been through many years of combat, and the initial shock and heavy casualties did not completely break them down.
Amidst the desperate shouts of junior officers and sergeants, the survivors rushed toward the nearest cover.
The sounds of assault rifles and light machine guns rang out in a chaotic yet intense manner, and tracer bullets streaked towards the north hillside, sending rock fragments flying and stirring up clouds of dust in the morning mist.
However, they made a fatal tactical mistake—
After being suddenly and accurately sniped, they instinctively launched a concentrated counterattack based on the first muzzle flash they spotted, completely exposing themselves to crossfire from several other sniper positions.
"Crossfire network activated. Target area segmented."
Song Heping was directing what seemed like a military exercise.
"Continue the hunt. Prioritize eliminating enemy command nodes, heavy weapons operators, and radio operators."
"clear."
Jiang Feng's answer was concise.
He pulled back the AXMC's long bolt, and the scorching brass cartridge case sprang out, landing on the rocks with a crisp "clink".
He quickly searched for the next high-value target.
A second lieutenant wearing an officer's cap, who was hiding behind an overturned pickup truck and shouting loudly in an attempt to rally his troops, came into his view.
Distance correction: 287 meters.
Target's lateral movement speed: approximately 1.5 meters per second. Wind direction and speed are stable.
Jiang Feng adjusted his breathing, synchronizing the intervals between his second heartbeats with the target's movement pattern.
In the scope, the crosshairs were slightly ahead of the lieutenant's head movement.
Hold your breath.
In his eyes, the world consisted only of that swaying military cap and the life core beneath it.
Pull the trigger.
The lieutenant's head exploded in the next instant like a ripe watermelon that had been hit.
The headless corpse froze in place for half a second before collapsing forward, its gun slipping from its hand and falling to the ground.
First update, 4,080 characters.
(End of this chapter)