276: Side Story ● The End of the Road for the Three Kingdoms 3

The shelling had not yet fully ceased, and the "Tiger" armored vehicles carrying infantry had already rushed to the edge of the valley.

The rear hatches opened, and the fully armed Pakistan infantry quickly leaped out, dispersing in a skilled tactical formation, rushing toward the valley under the cover of tanks.

Major General Rashid observed the battlefield through the commander's panoramic sight.

He saw a few infantrymen at the bottom of the valley engaged in a brief firefight with scattered India soldiers crawling out from the piles of rubble.

The sounds of automatic rifle bursts and grenade explosions rose and fell.

But the resistance was weak and desperate.

Under absolute superiority in firepower and troop numbers, the remaining enemy forces were quickly cleared.

"The valley is cleared! It is passable!"

"Pass through at full speed!"

Major General Rashid ordered.

The steel beasts started moving again, roaring down into the valley and climbing up the opposite bank.

The scene along the way was shocking.

Destroyed India fortifications, charred corpses, discarded weapons...

The ruthlessness of war was laid bare before their eyes.

"Report, Division Commander! The vanguard battalion has arrived at the foot of the 'Eagles Nest' heights! The enemy has constructed minefields and anti-tank trenches on the front of the heights, and there is about a company of troops defending them, relying on permanent fortifications!"

The voice of the vanguard battalion commander came over the radio, carrying a hint of anxiety.

"They also have several well-hidden anti-tank guns!"

Major General Rashid frowned.

A frontal assault on the minefields and solid fortifications, even if successful, would come at a high cost and waste precious time.

He immediately connected to the division's drone unit channel.

"'Eagle Eye' unit, this is Major General Rashid. Give me a precise scan of the structure and firepower distribution of the 'Eagles Nest' heights' front-line defenses, especially the locations of those anti-tank guns!"

"Additionally, contact the army's 'Sky Dragon' attack formation; I need them to provide a 'scalpel-like' clearance service!"

"Eagle Eye understands, scanning commencing..."

A few minutes later, the 3D model of the heights and the precise coordinates were transmitted to Major General Rashid's command terminal and the rear firepower units.

"'Sky Dragon' attack formation is in position, awaiting orders."

"Attack authorized! Target data transmitted. Execute!"

In the sky, several Sky Dragon Mark I UAVs that had been on standby in the nearby airspace swooped down like vultures that had spotted their prey.

The small precision bombs mounted under their wings were aimed at those bunkers and anti-tank gun positions that were difficult to detect using traditional reconnaissance methods.

"Boom! Boom! Boom!"

Precise explosions bloomed on the front of the heights.

The solid concrete fortifications were sliced open like tofu before the bunker-busting bombs, and the soldiers and weapons inside were destroyed together.

Those anti-tank guns were blown into spare parts before they even had a chance to fire.

"Well done!"

Major General Rashid exclaimed in admiration and immediately gave the order.

"Engineer battalion, move out and clear a path! Vanguard battalion, provide fire cover! Within half an hour, I want to be standing on the peak of the 'Eagles Nest' heights!"

Under the perfect coordination of drones and artillery, the solid defensive line that the India military relied upon collapsed.

The Pakistan engineers quickly cleared the minefields and obstacles, and the tanks and infantry launched a swift assault along the cleared safe passage.

Having lost heavy firepower support and command, the remaining India defenders' will to resist collapsed rapidly.

They were either annihilated or abandoned their positions and fled to the rear.

With one hour left until sunset, a green Pakistan crescent-and-star flag was finally planted on the highest point of the 'Eagles Nest' heights in the afterglow of the setting sun.

Major General Rashid stood on his tank, looking west through his binoculars; two winding roads came into full view.

He picked up the radio and reported to Major General Arif.

"'Steel One' reporting to 'Snow Mountain One'! 'Eagles Nest' is in my hands! Repeat, 'Eagles Nest' is in my hands! The enemy's retreat route has been cut off!"

Major General Arif received Major General Rashid's report of victory at the front-line command post.

He did not cheer excessively; he just took a deep breath, and his strained nerves relaxed slightly.

Taking the 'Eagles Nest' heights meant that the first phase objective of the Kashmir campaign had been basically achieved, and the initiative was firmly in the hands of Pakistan.

The radios and telephones inside the tent became even busier, and congratulations from all sectors of the country began to pour in.

The President, the Prime Minister, the Minister of Defense... words of praise were endless.

Domestic media had already begun to extensively report the "Kashmir Great Victory," and the cheers of the public seemed to traverse mountains and rivers, reaching this frontline.

But Major General Arif knew clearly that this was only the beginning.

Although India had suffered heavy losses, its scale remained, and it was undergoing emergency mobilization domestically, while the attitude of the international community remained ambiguous.

The real test, perhaps, had just arrived.

He walked to the sand table, looking at the blue arrows that had already pierced deep into India territory.

Should they quit while ahead and consolidate the gains in Kashmir?

Or should they press the advantage, utilizing India's current chaos and panic to further expand their strategic edge, or even...

Seek more far-reaching geopolitical goals?

He recalled the huge advantage brought by the weapons and equipment provided by Li Yi, remembered the long-suppressed expectations of the domestic public, and also remembered India's aggressiveness over the past few decades.

A bolder, more ambitious plan gradually took shape in his mind.

He summoned all the core staff officers.

Inside the command tent, the lights were bright, and the atmosphere became heavy and tense once again.

"Gentlemen," Major General Arif's voice was steady and powerful.

He pointed to the sand table, to the west of the 'Eagles Nest' heights, that vast plain belonging to India.

"Our victory in Kashmir is glorious, but is this enough?"

The officers held their breath, waiting for what he would say next.

"India's Seventh Army reinforcements were intercepted and killed by us halfway, and their defensive system in Kashmir is already in tatters."

"They must be in a panic domestically now, with chaotic command. This is the opportunity of a lifetime for us!"

His finger pressed firmly on the sand table, tracing a huge arc-shaped encirclement.

"I have decided, we will not give them any time to regroup!"

"Order the left-wing assault cluster, while consolidating existing positions, to send elite armored troops to perform a deep penetration toward Amritsar!"

"Right-wing cluster, increase the pressure, forcing the enemy in front to retreat toward Jammu, creating conditions for us to encircle them!"

He looked around at every officer, his gaze burning.

"Our goal is no longer just Kashmir! We will push beyond the border, with our spearhead aimed directly at the key towns in northern India!"

"We will make New Delhi feel the true pain of this!"

"We will crush their war potential in one fell swoop, and for our Pakistan, win fifty years of peace and security!"

"Gentlemen!" Major General Arif raised his voice, full of unquestionable determination.

"Let us burn this 'Fury of the Snow Mountain' into the heartland of India! For the eternal glory of Pakistan!"

"For the glory of Pakistan!"

The officers responded in unison, their eyes burning with excitement and fighting spirit.