Veikan-Benagitan border incident (1976)

The Veikan-Benagitan border incident of 1976, also known as The 1976 border skirmish, NSC-Benagitan skirmish, and The 1976 border accident, was an event during the Veikan Civil War when National Salvation Committee forces accidentally crossed the Benagitia n border. The incident was not fatal and caused only minor damage. Despite that, it resulted in a major shift in Benagitan policy towards the parties in the conflict.

Sequence of events
Lieutenant Oxos of the National Salvation Committee was ordered to address unrest in the town of XXX. The NSC had removed or changed all signposts to hinder PRF scouts. At noon, 9th of November, Oxos made a navigational error, and turned to far eastward. He ended up on a road to Barava. His platoon arrived at the border of Benagitia at approximate 17:30. Unable to identify the border markers, Oxos ordered to force through the barbed wire and fencing, about 8 km south of Barava.

The Veikan platoon was detected inside Benagita at 18:10 by a Benagitan border guard, Moraler Hennin d'Ornans, who relayed it to the nearest border post. The officer there ordered d'Ornans to approach the platoon and summon them to turn back. When d'Ornans got into sight the Veikan soldiers opened fire. He was wounded in his left arm. Fearing the platoon might stuble into the refugee camp, d'Ornans returned potshots. Lieutenant Oxos ordered section B to pull around to flank d'Ornans.

The police guards stationed at the refugee camp had heard the shots, and send a group of 4 to find out what was going on. The encountered section B on an upward slope. With poor visibility due to nightfall, the guards shouted down towards the Veikans to identify themselves in Veikan. The section, likewise limited in vision and expecting DAM loyalists, falsely identified themselves with a DAM code. The Benagitan guards, not familiar with the system, summoned them to go back. The section decided to approach the guards regardless, to which they opened fire. Although outnumbering the Benagitans and equipped with a light machinegun, section B did not manage to dislodge the guards. The darkness and terrain limited their intel on the enemy, and they retreated under machine gun cover.

Meanwhile, d'Ornans had occupied the main force until 18:50. He had ran out of ammunition, and command ordered him to regroup with the other border guards. Fearing combat with the Veikans might lead to unnecessary loss of life, d'Ornans tried to get into contact again with the platoon. Quickly relaying his plan to headquarters, he raised a white flag and approached the Veikans at 19:05.

Moraler d'Ornans spoke to Lieutenant Oxos directly about the situation, and claimed a company that had just arrived would attack were he not to return (a lie, since the border guards had only send out 8 soldiers). Oxos was not convinced. Section B returned, falsely reporting they had encountered an unit of possibly platoon size, and were caught on the lower ground. Not risking a disadvantaged fire fight at night time, Lieutenant Oxos ordered to fall back.

The platoon would leave the Benagitia at approximately 21:20, ending the incursion. However, they did not release d'Ornans, who was be taken into Veikaia. Hennin d'Ornans was presumed to be a member of the Litano-Veikan commune based on his name. The reinforcing border guards were only able to locate the platoon as it were crossing the border back into Veikaia. Unbeknownst that a prisoner was taken, they choose not to get into contact or engage.

Aftermath
The whole encounter took about 3 hours, with the skirmishes leaving 5 wounded. Two of the NSC soldiers of section B were wounded. On the Benagitian side there were 3 wounded; Moraler d'Ornans, a police officer, and one of the reinforcing border guards who had injured himself, delaying their arrival.

The NSC's response was cold, stating that the event was just collateral damage of war. The lack of excuse upset the Benagitan politicians. Benagitia had been cooperative with the NSC thus far: it had allowed strategic resources from Mero-Curgovina to pass through their territory early in the war, and accepted many refugees since the start of the conflict. Additionally, the circumstance around d'Ornans were initially unclear, causing media to speculate that he might have been executed. Prince Richard visited the [comander of eastern forces Blah Blah] to pressure the issue and trace what had happened to his border guard. He was ultimately found in a POW-camp on the 24th of November, where he had received substandard medical care. The slow localization and repatriation strained relations.

Being unable to rely on diplomacy, as well as the PRF approaching, Benagitan politicians opted to pursache modern weaponry for the border guards and establish weapon caches to properly equip the police in case of an invasion. Among the new equipment were [MC submachinegun] and [Marre sniper rifle]. Benagitia demanded to signage around the border were to restored, but no response was given. Ultimately, the border was closed for any refugee on the 3rd of June 1977.

Moraler d'Ornans would return to Benagitia on the 2nd of December 1976. He would ultimately recover from his shoulder wound and serve until his retirement in 1991. He passed away in 2004 from complications from a knee surgery. A small statue of him was raised in 2018 at the command post near Barava.