The operation went almost without a hitch. Swooping low over the horizon in the early dawn light, the helicopters disgorged their cargo of commandos into a dried-out riverbed.
Surveillance drones guided them successfully to the enemy’s remote hideouts. The resistance was intense, the insurgents they encountered wore suicide belts and hurled grenades.
But after hours of fierce fighting, the mission was clearly a success. Among the 14 enemy dead were four of the movement’s leaders.
