Operation Sentinel Watch
#3
The Ministry of Defence has confirmed that Task Force Echofinder has reached the last known position of Reconnaissance Platoon Echo-3 as part of Operation Echofinder, conducted under the broader framework of Operation Sentinel Watch.
Following the establishment of a secure perimeter, military personnel recovered the remains of the reconnaissance drones that lost contact with command during the initial incident. Investigators confirmed that both unmanned systems ceased transmitting within moments of one another before crashing inside the operational area.
Ground teams subsequently recovered equipment belonging to Echo-3, including damaged communications equipment, abandoned field packs, spent ammunition casings, damaged defensive positions, and multiple expended magazines.
Forensic teams also identified clear evidence of a sustained armed engagement, including blood traces, concentrated firefighting positions, and extensive signs of combat across the surrounding terrain.
During the search, Task Force Echofinder discovered a large concentration of neutralized Afflicted in the immediate vicinity of the platoon’s last known defensive position.
Military officials stated that preliminary battlefield assessments indicate the Afflicted sustained significant casualties, suggesting that Reconnaissance Platoon Echo-3 mounted a determined and prolonged defense before communications were lost.
Despite the intensity of the engagement, no members of Echo-3 have been located.
The identity of any additional hostile elements involved, if present, remains unknown.
Following an emergency meeting between the Chief of Defence Staff, the Afflicted Operations Command (AOCC), senior intelligence officials, and Project Asklepios representatives, the Minister of Defence has authorised the immediate transition from reconnaissance operations to an active Combat Search and Rescue (CSAR) mission.
Waiting is no longer considered an operationally acceptable course of action.
Additional mechanised formations have been ordered forward to reinforce Task Force Echofinder, while Army Aviation units have commenced continuous helicopter operations into the operational area.
The Novaran Air Force has simultaneously elevated its readiness posture, deploying combat aircraft, airborne early warning assets, electronic warfare platforms, and aerial reconnaissance aircraft to provide overwatch and immediate support should the rescue force encounter hostile resistance.
Medical evacuation helicopters, logistics aircraft, and reserve units have also been mobilised to sustain operations inside the affected Wild Zone.
A Ministry spokesperson stated:
“The evidence recovered today confirms that Echo-3 stood its ground and fought with exceptional determination. They inflicted substantial losses on the Afflicted while carrying out their mission. We do not yet know their fate, but we do know this: they will not be abandoned. Every available resource will be committed to locating our personnel and bringing them home.”
The Restricted Military Operations Area has been expanded once again, and Operation Echofinder will continue until the status of Reconnaissance Platoon Echo-3 has been determined.
