Qizilqum Liberation Front force assessment, January 3145

The following is an assessment of the Qizilqum Liberation Front’s (Henceforth QLF) forces and abilities, as of 1 January, 3145. It is for distribution to planetary militia forces and FWLM units, as well as any affiliated mercenaries. While the information is admittedly sketchy, the information contained within is none the less considered to be accurate and a fair summary of their abilities.

Roxana Zaryos, Hamilton Planetary Guard

01-01-3145

Leadership and Command Structure

At present, the full structure of the QLF’s command is unclear. In general, they operate in a decentralised cell system, based around small strike forces and operational groups, each reporting to a local subcommander. Information is kept highly compartmentalised so that the capture of one commander or defeat of their cell does not compromise the rest of the organisation. These cell commanders in turn report to higher-ranked commanders, who in turn report to the highest levels of the organisation.

At present, the full size of the QLF is unclear, but intelligence and recon, as well as forensic studies of past attacks, suggest that at least a dozen different ‘cells’ exist. These may use highly varying tactics and force structures, all dependant on what assets they have available and the local situation. Many cells are limited solely to terror tactics, whole others have access to armour and other heavy equipment. On occasion, multiple cells will cooperate towards a single goal, but this is rare.

The overall commander of the QLF is apparently “Prince” Zafar bin Muhammad Serakhis. A former member of the Hamilton Planetary Guard during the Republic era, Serakhis is wealthy and charismatic, known to have business connections across the Augustine Alliance and possibly to other former Republic worlds. Defecting from the guard following the blackout, it appears that he worked his way to the top of the QLF over several years. Serakhis also serves as the face of the QLF, appearing heavily in their propaganda broadcasts. His family can be traced back to the original Qizilqum leadership, which apparently gives him a measure of status within the movement.

Qutaybah Darya is a prominent mid-ranked commander, one who seems to have access to considerable armoured assets. Another former member of the Standing Guard, it appears that he followed Serakhis into the QLF. Balgan Nabiyev is another mid-rank commander, apparently in charge of a number of independent, small terror cells, especially those in urban areas. Not much is known about him, and it is possible that his name is an alias.

Force Size and Equipment

The QLF’s overall size is somewhat nebulous due to their decentralised and irregular nature, but a few fair assessments have been made based on observations. The QLF has approximately a battalion of armour under their control, scattered into largely lance-sized formations. For many years, their armoured assets largely consisted of salvaged or improvised units with little coherence, but in the last few years a degree of standardisation has occurred, suggesting that they either have access to a supply cache or an outside source.

Common vehicles in the QLF include Zukhov Heavy Tanks, Scorpion and Striker Light Tanks, Light SRM carriers and converted trucks. Heavy APCs are also common, and a few Thumper artillery vehicles are known to be among their forces but rarely seen. BattleMech assets are limited to a handful of converted IndustrialMechs, and the QLF does not have any aerospace assets. Several Karnov VTOLs have been sighted, but these seem to act purely as transport assets and are unarmed.

A typical “force” will consist of one or two Zukhovs, supported by a mixture of Scorpions and Strikers as well as infantry forces. However, not all forces have access to the heavy tanks, and some will simply use SRM carriers for offensive punch. Conventional infantry are frequently used to supplement their forces, usually armed with a mixture of whatever small arms come to hand, as well as the occasional heavy or support weapon.

Colours and insignia

The QLF lacks any standardised colours or distinctive insignia, but some units have been seen sporting the old Qizilqum flag. Most vehicles are painted in local camolfauge, but some sport coloured trim highlights; it is suspected that these are an easy way of identifying different cells for combined operations.