Chapter 9: Sniper

Alright, let's go together. The plane crashed a few kilometers away, and I hope we can make it back to the headquarters in time

Thank you for that, what do you need?

Have you engaged in sexual activity over the years

Looking for a pilot

Will the Indian army come to destroy? Lin Huaisheng asked at the end of the team

It is not an exercise; coincidentally, yesterday an enemy aircraft crashed in the east. Someone saw the pilot parachute out, and he may have landed in the mountains. The higher authorities have instructed the nearby garrison to conduct a search.

An Indian sniper is on the mountain, a soldier said. Lin Huaisheng buried his head in the cockpit, afraid to look outside. He struggled to recall all the high points here and the location of that gunshot. Soon, another gunshot rang out, still from the same direction, followed by the sound of another soldier falling. Clearly, there is a seasoned sniper on one of the mountain peaks here. His first shot took out the sergeant who was peering out of the plane, and it was certainly not due to his rank; otherwise, he should have taken out Captain Salim first. The most likely reason is that Sergeant Nurman was carrying a green sniper rifle, and he probably thought that by taking out a fellow soldier first, he could avoid the hassle of frequently changing positions.

There has been no fighting in the last ten years. After 1999, both sides shifted their main operations to the rear of the mountains, making it impossible to engage. They have a few Cheetah helicopters on the front line, which pose a challenge for us. However, each of our battalions is equipped with Stinger missiles.

Lieutenant Salim was somewhat troubled. He exchanged a few words with Sergeant Nurman, then regained his confidence. He said to Lin Huaisheng: It should not be worth it, for a piece of wreckage.

Not only the pilots, but also the aircraft wreckage

Polaris

At around 2 or 3 PM, I finally saw a long crash trail on the distant hillside, with aircraft parts scattered all over the slope. The front part of the plane had fallen into a dry valley, with the nose still pointing north, which was the direction of the target. However, the parachuting pilot was never found.

The Jaguar attack aircraft maintained its state at the time it was shot down, with the damaged turbine engine lying 150 meters behind the aircraft, and the blades could still be seen turning when the wind blew. The soldiers in front surged forward, all wanting to pry out some souvenirs from the cockpit, and the entire team was suddenly thrown into chaos. Lin Huaisheng also walked over, took out his camera, and jumped onto the right wing, which was still intact. From this position, he could see that the pilot's seat in the cockpit was no longer there, clearly ejected along with the pilot. Under the broken left wing, there was a large hole, with the metal skin curling inward. It was likely that the missile struck that location, or it could have been damaged by rocks during the fall. Lin Huaisheng was not an expert in this area and could not discern the details, so he randomly pressed the shutter and took a few photos.

What is happening? Captain Salim can be heard shouting outside the plane

How would I know? You have to go in and find out for yourself

No, no, no, it is Mi 17

I am afraid there is no axe

"Sergeant, may I go in and take a look? I have repaired helicopters before, so it should be quite similar, right?" Lin Huaisheng said from above. Sergeant Nurman looked up and saw Lin Huaisheng shining in the glow of the setting sun, smiling gratefully at him.

But Captain, what does the storage device look like

We can find the computer's storage and see if there is any useful information, and we can also record a video, which will have... political implications," the captain said breathlessly while leaning against a large rock.

Then it would be fine to find a large stone

The troops of the Indian 25th Division are located on that hill in front

"That's right, there is probably one line, belonging to the 14th Maratha Light Infantry Battalion, while the main forces of the 25th Division are still to the east," said Captain Salim

Will the Indian army come? Lin Huaisheng continued to ask

"Sergeant, you need to have your men locate the computer's storage device, and do not let them dismantle anything else that is unnecessary," Salim said loudly, noticing one soldier examining the lights on the landing gear while another soldier was clearing away the deployed parachute outside.

Sergeant Nurman appeared outside the cabin, and he kindly asked Lin Huaisheng if he had found the item. A dull gunshot echoed through the valley, and Sergeant Nurman suddenly vanished from Lin Huaisheng's sight. Even while remaining inside the cabin, Lin Huaisheng could hear the heavy sound of the sergeant falling to the ground.

Lin Huaisheng, dressed in a thick coat, squatted behind the artillery team's sight, gazing at a snow-capped mountain peak several hundred meters above the goat. An Indian army forward outpost was located there, while Captain Salim, who accompanied him, sat nearby examining the map

A group of people began searching for a way into the river valley. After an hour, they finally reached the edge of the valley. This was a secluded gorge, with bare mountain peaks on both sides. Lin Huaisheng felt that if they did not occupy these high points, they would easily be ambushed. Therefore, he tactfully presented this view to Captain Salim. Salim once again sought the opinion of the sergeant. In the end, the sergeant believed that the soldiers were all very tired and that they should not make the soldiers toil up and down in an oxygen-deprived environment for unrealistic reasons.

Lin Huaisheng can now see Indian soldiers wearing woolen hats peeking out from behind the cover, looking this way with binoculars

The search team originally consisted of only 11 members, with a sergeant as the commander. Now, with the addition of Lin Huaisheng and Captain Salim, it perfectly adds up to an ominous number. Captain Salim always carries a submachine gun, which can be counted as half a combat personnel, while Lin Huaisheng only has a pair of binoculars

The endless desolate snow-capped mountains stretch out, devoid of any decent vegetation. A few goats, just beginning to shed their fur, are slowly moving along the cliffs in search of tender shoots buried in the snow. Occasionally, small stones tumble down around them, prompting the goats to raise their heads and stand still in place. For decades, the goats here have learned to avoid the paths or valleys, as the flat areas are invariably fraught with landmines.

Is there a road behind the mountain

There are, but they are in poor condition, and can only be accessed in the summer. During this month, these frontline troops rely on the 153rd Helicopter Squadron based in Utapao to transport supplies. This occurs once or twice a month, the captain continued to respond

When Lin Huaisheng left the observation post, he thought that it was meaningless for either side to launch a large-scale offensive in such terrain. His superiors had sent him with the intention of facilitating communication with the Pakistani army, and there were many ways to achieve this. However, Lin Huaisheng insisted on coming to the front line to take a look, which indeed put his hosts in a difficult position, especially given the current perilous situation. Ultimately, the Northern Commander devised a compromise: he selected a mountain pass on the map that had been the calmest for the past ten years for the Chinese colonel to visit, and assigned Captain Salim from the 23rd Infantry Division to accompany him throughout the journey. As Lin Huaisheng descended the hill and observed, he saw some Pakistani soldiers engrossed in preparing their weapons, seemingly for an exercise.

1 day ago, the Saab 2000 early warning aircraft accurately reported that a plane had crashed here, but coordinates alone are insufficient. Due to the near-zero enforceability of the actual control line during the conflict, deploying helicopters can easily be detected, so infantry must be relied upon to confirm the actual situation

Lin Huaisheng leaped into the cockpit, where he had to crouch due to the absence of seats. He had a general understanding of the aircraft's structure and suspected that any advanced electronic equipment would be located behind the instrument panel. The panel was already damaged, so he removed a cathode ray tube on the left side that indicated night targeting and laser illumination without using an axe or stone. He reached in along the data cable and felt around; the walls were lined with hard partitions, clearly more complex than he had imagined. He continued to dismantle the fuel control panel. This was an aircraft from the 1980s, and the entire cockpit was filled with various switches and instruments. He could not see any ready-made interfaces.

Lin Huaisheng has always felt that the mountainous terrain here is very similar to the Karakoram Mountains on the western frontier, with ravines interlacing and peaks scattered in disorder. Without GPS, it is quite difficult to locate a target just 1 kilometer away in this area

"Um, a hammer, and an axe," Lin Huaisheng said after a moment of thought

Sergeant Nurman, who was leading the team, seemed somewhat dissatisfied with Captain Salim's hasty decision. He believed that an unarmed foreign stranger would surely hinder his squad, but due to the rank difference, he could not express his thoughts directly. Lin Huaisheng noticed the sergeant's discontent and could only quietly follow behind, making every effort not to appear as a burden.

"What is going on? Is there a military exercise today?" Lin Huaisheng asked the captain

As Sergeant Nurman reluctantly approached the cabin, Lin Huaisheng felt that it was time for him to ease the differences, even though he was also unclear about what the storage device looked like

"Captain Salim, I have seen steeper mountains, just 500 kilometers away," Lin Huaisheng said, pointing to the east.

"How far is that mountain from here?" Lin Huaisheng asked while estimating in his mind

The small team circled around the mountains several times, at times becoming confused themselves. After a discussion, Sergeant Nurman ultimately persuaded Captain Salim to continue searching for the aircraft according to his ideas. Lin Huaisheng did not wish to express his opinions regarding the judgment of the terrain and features, as he was merely a guest.

Sergeant Nurman, 30 years old, is quite familiar with this area and has always been at the forefront. He carries a backup maritime phone and a handheld GPS, along with a conspicuous old-style Steyr SSG 69 sniper rifle. This is an outdated weapon, with an obsolete appearance and a plastic stock, easily reminiscent of the small-caliber rifles used in military pentathlon. Most of the other soldiers, apart from the sergeant, are armed with AK-47 style rifles. This is an outdated weapon, with an obsolete appearance and a plastic stock, easily reminiscent of the small-caliber rifles used in military pentathlon. Most of the other soldiers, apart from the sergeant, are armed with AK-47 style rifles.

The straight distance is 1.5 kilometers; of course, the elevation drop in the valley cannot be calculated precisely. If one were to walk over, it might take an entire day. The few paths available are littered with landmines, some of which belong to them, and some to us.

"Can I go with you?" the Chinese lieutenant colonel asked directly. "Lieutenant Colonel, have you ever seen a place more terrifying than the mountains here?" Captain Salim said with a smile, and this question intrigued Lin Huaisheng.

"Generally not. They are not very active before June each year. The most concerning issue is still the landmines. We must follow the paths that the goats usually take. And one more thing, you must stay behind me," said Captain Salim, gently stroking his mustache.