Serriel-Iskiram War
| Serriel—Iskiram War | |||||||
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Serrielan tanks in the Kusrah desert, 1973. | |||||||
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| Sultanate of Iskiram |
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The Serriel—Iskiram War was an armed conflict fought between Serriel and Iskiram from 1972 to 1977, which began with a Serrielan invasion of Iskiram on February 3, 1972 and ended with the signing of the Treaty of Shimalut on October 12, 1977. Serriel justified its invasion by claiming a need to protect the rights of Iskiram's Suhar minority, although historians believe that the desire to control the Sufaj Waterway was a greater impetus for the invasion. Serriel also wished to constrain Iskirami expansionism and define itself as the dominant power of northern Neria. The war was noteworthy for the immense material support to both sides from foreign powers, which exacerbated and prolonged the conflict, as well as the human rights abuses perpetrated by both sides during the conflict, including attacks on civilian targets, execution of prisoners of war, and Iskiram's use of chemical weapons.
Although the better-trained and better-equipped Serrielan forces initially made swift advances, thanks greatly to the Serrielan Air Force's complete control of the skies, the advance slowed in the Kusrah desert by 1973 in the face of fierce Iskirami opposition. Strategic blunders by Serrielan generals saved many Iskirami units from destruction, while the punishing battles of the Kusrah Campaign strained Serrielan supply lines within enemy-held territory. In 1975, the Serrielan army and air force had been blunted by years of fighting, while Iskirami numerical superiority began to wear upon Serrielan forces, leading to Serrielan defeat in the Maharakh campaign. The war continued in increasingly-bloody fashion until the September Coup in Serriel, in which elements of the military led by Marshal Evram Sarraf deposed Sultan Denim and his advisors, leading Serriel to sue for peace.