Battle of Hinomir

The Battle of Hinomir was fought on 12 February 2023, as a land/naval battle in the Andornian city of Hinomir as on the Sea of Pearls Front in the Northern Syltörian Border War between the Principalities of Andorn and Ardenian Paramilitary Forces.

Background
The rise in Ardenian and Andornian tensions would cause a militaristic standoff between the two states. While Andornian maintained a desire to reconquer the lost Andornian territory that was lost in the Fourth Andorn Crisis, a minority of Ardenians desired for a preemptive military strike to cripple the Andorn Legion to ensure the territorial integrity of Ardena. However, the Ardenian government was opposed to the use of military strike which would cause the formation of an Ardenian Paramilitary Organization which would plot to invade the Andorn city of Hinomir to cripple and steal the Andorn Navy stationed there.

Initial Plans
Ardenian Paramilitary Forces would plan on a naval invasion into the port of Hinomir to seize the harbor and take control of the Andorn Navy destroyers stationed there. This would be backed by small watercraft to transport the small Ardenian force taking off from the Askonian mainland coastline.

Andorn however, did not anticipate any sort of attack given the Ardenian government had no indication about any sort of attack while paramilitary forces planned the attack.

Ardenian Landings
Ardenian Paramilitary Forces would land successfully on the port of Hinomir with no contested resistance and quickly seize an Andorn destroyer moored at the docks. However, due to the lack of naval training Ardenians have due to their homeland region lacking the necessity for naval ports, their attempt to steal the Andorn destroyer was incredibly delayed and eventually spotted by an Andorn patrol.

Andorn Legion Response
After getting reports of an Ardenian incursion at Hinomir, the Andorn Legion would deploy its forces to expel the Ardenian forces. As Andornian troops entered the harbor, chaotic fighting would erupt as Ardenian soldiers fought to keep control of their occupied destroyer to give enough time to evacuate the harbor.

Stalemate
As the fighting continued, Andorn and Ardenian forces would rapidly suffer losses and enter a bloody stalemate with the Ardenians unable to steal the Andorn destroyer and the Andornians unable to fully secure the harbor.

Aftermath
With the news of an Ardenian paramilitary force attacking Andorn, the Ardenian government would issue the complete withdrawal of any Ardenian soldiers after disbanding the paramilitary organization. Andorn forces would retake the harbor after the withdrawal of Ardenian forces was complete. Although Andorn successfully prevented Ardenians from taking the destroyer and manage to secure a landing for an invasion, they suffered a much higher casualty rate than their Ardenian counterparts due to the rush to defend the city.

Andornian Response
With the unprovoked attack, Andornians would bring a call for retaliation against the Ardenian state. This outcry would result in the Fichtenwald Offensive on February 26th, 2023.

Ardenian Response
The Ardenian government would immediately disband the secret paramilitary group, and with the unintentional consequences from the battle, Ardena would being to bolster its eastern border with Andorn in preparation for an Andorn offensive which would occur in the Fichtenwald Offensive.

Legacy
The Battle of Hinomir would be the start of the Northern Syltorian War and the first ever engagement the Andorn military has seen since its reformation in August of 2023. Ardena would be forced into an offensive war it never wanted to partake in because of the paramilitary attack and an increase in government control to prevent such events from happening again.