Intense Fighting in and Around Don Sak as Republic Forces seek to suppress remaining PAFK Forces
RNS Military Correspondent Pedr Greenway Reports to us from Forward Operating Base Culhwch
After several months of intense battle between the Republic Armed Forces and the PAFK and their aligned militias, the RNS was able to get access on the ground near the frontline. RNS Reporter Pedr Greenway can be seen walking through a system of abandoned trenches, now declared safe by the army after the PAFK retreated further into urban areas of Don Sak.
We asked Pedr what the current situation is and how Republic Forces are handling it:
"I'm here with Lt. Colonel Arwel Lace, current commander of the 3rd Rifle Battalion. Which has seen the heaviest fighting during the recent advance and has currently been rotated back to the Forward Operating Base. We understand that progress is still being made, despite the continued resistance from local militias. Republic forces have begun entering the outskirts of Don Sak to meet what is being rumored as heavily entrenched opposition. Colonel Lace, what can you tell us about the challenges currently facing the Army here?"
"I can only commend the men I have been working with for their courage and professionalism thus far, we have been able to maintain an aggressive posture and have made solid gains in the past month. The PAFK forces in this area have put up significant resistance but we continue to gain ground. Morale is high and we are confident that our mission will be successful. Of course the biggest challenge will always be ensuring restraint. Despite the fighting civilians still live and work here, we are fighting over their homes and streets and we must ensure our approach is made with due consideration to their safety."
"What considerations are being taken?"
"Our commitment to ensuring that civilians are safe is one of the core tenants of our strategy here. Our rules of engagement have been adjusted appropriately with regards to available intelligence and our personnel have and continue to receive the appropriate training and updates. We have made attempts to evacuate as many as possible away from areas where hostilities are still in progress or expected, and are providing aid and relief to any who need it. We are confident that our current practice minimizes the risk of collateral damage and infrastructure not being appropriated by PAFK forces. The natural thing for soldiers is to give heaps back if they come under fire, but now we look to manoeuvre instead if we can, because it is crucial not to jeopardise a single civilian life."
"Of course, however we know from the MOD that recent casualty figures have been the highest since the operation began with 22 personnel killed in action."
"It is an unfortunate reality of any kind of military operation that we will sustain casualties. We still have to conduct strikes against positions held by PAFK forces and move through hostile territory. We have taken the appropriate steps to minimize risk to our own forces when conducting operations in contested environments. Our equipment is adequate for the challenge and our personnel remain confident. Operating more indiscriminately would not yield more positive results. We can only focus on continuing to make progress."
We are thankful to Lt. Col Lace for providing this statement.
Parties begin preparing for final campaigning run for 2024 Election Cycle
The Democratic Labour Union would need a record swing in votes at the next general election to win a majority in the House of Commons, according to analysis of the new electoral map. The next election will be fought on new constituency boundaries, redrawn to reflect population changes and to try to even out voter numbers in each area. An analysis of these changes for suggests the DLU needs a national swing of 7.5% to win with just a small majority. That's considerably lower than the 10.2% achieved by Marcus Austin in 2008, the last DLU government and current electoral record. This gives hope to current DLU and opposition leader Graham Bradshaw as the party seeks to close the gap before the general election in April.
When asked a part official was able to provide a response. "It is still the position of the DLU to run against the policies carried out by PM Conway these past 8 years. Which have left many communities on the brink, and seen a serious lack of investment in the Islands in favour of repeated military expansion and now recently the catastrophic decision to invade Kalasin, which will only take more money from the pockets of social services and continue to see an erosion of support to our most vulnerable."
The DLU has recently stood by largely peaceful protests launched nationwide since late last year by people sympathetic of the Kalasin independence movement and opposed to Preorian military involvement in the region. The National Republican League, the current incumbent party, has not responded to the demands of the movement but continues to emphasize that the current deployments overseas are necessary to ensure security in the region as people take to social media to voice their views.
The National Republican League will also see Prime Minister and party leader Einon Conway step down from politics this year. As he is set to retire after his term expires. The new candidate being proposed by the party, Owen Pendry, the current Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs, has been making significant moves across the country to ensure that his party retains their current majority in parliament. However his own constituency of West Lindow is hotly contested by both the DLU and Alliance Party in what is anticipated to be a very close vote based on current polling.
We will continue to report as news progresses in what is heralded as a landmark election in the future direction of the Republic.
