35 XTE Towanda Ambush

Vehicles of the 122nd Infantry flanked by fighter planes of the 3rd Air Squadron during Perūnian defense summit in Parwes, circa 32 XTE

### Result

SRP victory• Commander George Clarke of the PAPP killed

## Belligerents

 Perūnian-American Peoples Party
 Sectoral Republic

## Commanders and leaders

George Clarke †
John O. BrownRoderick Hayes

## Units involved

unknown
122nd Infantry Regiment3rd Air Squadron JBPA Militia

## Strength

250 insurgents
361 GSF Infantrymen22 militiamen

## Casualties and losses

102 killed40 wounded

16 killed28 wounded

The **35 XTE Towanda Ambush** was an attack by Perūnian PAPP-affiliated insurgents on September 27, 35 XTE on a convoy of mixed Perūnian Armed Forces (PAF) units, mainly composed of GSF Infantry. It is recognized as the unofficial commencement of the brief Perūnian Counterinsurgency. Approximately 13 hours later, on early September 28, the Commons of Perūn voted 342-101 in support of Operation Hidden Giant and the domestic deployment of military. The Federal Council immediately and unanimously authorized the operation.

## History

On August 2nd, 35 XTE, there was a massive data leak of the communications channels utilized by PAPP leadership and various other West Alekian-based political groups. The data leak revealed that a major portion (approx. 76.4%) of private donations PAPP received were from separatist and ethnonationalist organizations, committees and militia groups. Leadership of PAPP called the leaked data fake and local militia leader George Clarke claimed the Perūnian Armed Forces were behind the alleged misinformation. The government of the Sectoral Republic responded by publicly condemning the organization and all affiliated groups and passing the Domestic Terrorism Prevention Act of 35 XTE, focused on countering extremist and separatist activity in the Department of Defense and Perūnian Armed Forces, including in the provincial guards and militias.

On September 17, 35 XTE, the leadership of PAPP (a delegation of 7 members) unanimously agreed to begin an armed rebellion against the government of the Sectoral Republic of Perūn and within a week the group had mustered in between 4 and 5 thousand armed rebels in rural West Alekōs. All of them were placed under the command of George Clarke. That Sunday, September 24, a section of the Chatmon Bridge connecting West Alekōs and Parwes suffered a mysterious catastrophic failure resulting in 13 deaths, of which the PAPP later took credit. This forced the diversion of the 680th Transportation Company's convoy and pushed them back into West Alekōs, then northwest to round the Little Dry Gap into Parwes and bypass the bridge, a distance of roughly 135 miles.

Upon hearing the news, the Intelligence Committee of Perūn quickly concluded it was likely a rebel attack and immediately notified the 122nd Infantry Regiment stationed at nearby Camp Kiowa. Controversially, Col. Ryan Glass of the 122nd Infantry responded by tasking only the 1st Battalion, 122nd Infantry Regiment's logistics team, a group of under 300, with aiding the convoy's haul of fuel and material goods toward the border. In total, 361 GSF infantrymen were a part of the convoy, placed under the command of Lieutenant General Roderick Hayes. Late that evening on Wednesday, September 27th, the convoy began their journey and made it 51 miles before being stopped by a large squad of 22 men from a local militia, John Brown's Provisional Army (JBPA) at 21:00. The leader of the group, John O. Brown, accosted Convoy commander Lieutenant Hayes in a confrontation that nearly began with the convoy opening fire. After a lengthy discussion between leadership of the JBPA squad and the 1st Battalion, Hayes contacted Col. Glass and requested relief from 3rd Reconnaissance Air Squadron to escort them for the remainder of the journey.

The JBPA squadron joined their convoy and they awaited the air squadron for roughly 6 hours. Early that morning at 03:27, the convoy began moving again. Enroute, about 90 miles total into the journey, the convoy ran through a large scale ambush that included improvised explosive devices, rocket-propelled grenades and small arms. The convoy was driving through a small gorge before being fired upon from the tops of the cliffs and from behind large rocks. Lieutenant Hayes directed the front portion of the convoy through the tight turns of the gorge, but the back half quickly became estranged in the darkness. A brand new