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In March 2002 fighting in the U.S. war in Afghanistan was renewed as coalition forces made a massive push against about 500 to 1000 al-Qaeda and Taliban forces in the Shahi-Kot Valley and Arma Mountains southeast of Zormat, in an operation code-named Operation Anaconda. The operation primarily comprised of elements of the United States 10th Mountain Division, 101st Airborne Division, Canada's 3rd Battalion, Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry, the Afghan National Army, elements of the Australian Special Air Service Regiment and of the New Zealand Special Air Service.
Rebel fighters, many of whom thought to be al-Qaida and foreigners, entrenched themselves in caves and ridges in mountainous terrain, and fired on U.S. forces attempting to secure the area with mortars and heavy machine guns. Afghan Taliban commander Maulavi Saifur Rehman Mansoor later led Taliban reinforcements to join the battle. U.S. forces at first estimated the strength of the rebels in Shah-i-Kot at 150 to 200, which turned out to be an underestimate.
Between March 2nd and March 16th 2002, 1,700 airlifted U.S. troops and 1,000 pro-government Afghan militia battled over 1,000 al-Qaeda and Taliban fighters and obtained control of the valley.
Timeline
November 2001
Afghanistan's Taliban regime falls. Some of the Taliban regime's forces continue to hold out in mountains.March 1, 2002
In eastern Afghanistan, Operation ANACONDA begins. U.S. special operations forces are secretly infiltrated in to set up observation posts.March 2, 2002
U.S. and Afghan forces begin to sweep the Shah-i-Kot valley area to root out rebel forces regrouping in the valley after the fall of the Taliban regime. One of Operation ANACONDA's tactical objectives, codenamed Objective Ginger, is near the Takur Ghar mountaintop and has a commanding view of the valley.Army Chief Warrant Officer Stanley L. Harriman, of the Third Special Forces Group, was killed by friendly fire from an Air Force AC-130 aircraft along the road from Gardez to the Shahi Kot Valley*. A number of Afghan militia were also wounded in the friendly fire incident.
Harriman was a member of Task Force HAMMER, a large force of Afghan militia advised by a Special Forces A-Team. TF HAMMER's mission was to penetrate into the valley, in the belief that 150-200 enemy fighters were wintering in the villages that dot the valley. Their attack stalled short of entering the valley, due to unexpectedly heavy small arms and mortar fire, combined with a lack of expected close air support.
Meanwhile, elements of the 10th Mountain and 101st Airborne divisions landed via helicopter along the eastern and northern edges of the valley to set up blocking positions in the hope of capturing the enemy fighters that were expected to attempt to escape the valley. However, instead of 150-200 fighters in the villages, the area contained 500-1000 enemy dug in on the high ground around the valley. The 101st and 10th Mountain troops came under fire almost immediately after landing on their way to Objective Ginger, and remained pinned down by heavy rebel mortar fire and locked in a fierce firefight throughout the day. Most of these light infantrymen were airlifted out that night under cover of darkness after suffering 28 wounded casualties but no deaths. As a result of this action, Signalman Martin "Jock" Wallace of the Australian Special Air Service Regiment (SASR) was awarded the Australian Medal for Gallantry.
Throughout the day, the Special Forces recce teams that had infiltrated into the area the previous day called in airstrikes from B-2, B-52, F-15, and F-16 aircraft, inflicting heavy casualties on the Taliban and Al Qaeda fighters.
March 4, 2002
Seven American Special Operations Forces soldiers are killed as they attempt to infiltrate the Shahi Kot Valley on a low-flying helicopter reconnaissance mission. Invaluable and in-depth operational intelligence was gathered and forwarded to US Intelligence analysts with the help of members from the Australian Special Air Service Regiment. Around 3 a.m. local time a MH-47 Chinook helicopter landing on the Takur-Ghar peak was hit by a rocket-propelled grenade, causing a Navy SEAL to fall out and damaging a hydraulic line. The helicopter landed approximately four miles away, a head count was taken and it was confirmed that a serviceman was missing.It is not certain whether the fallen soldier died immediately or was killed by opposing soldiers. There are reports that this SEAL, Neil Roberts, 32, of Woodland, CA, was possibly captured by the al Qaeda fighters, and executed on the spot with a single shot to the back of the head. These reports have not been confirmed, however. Maj. Gen. Frank Hagenbeck did confirm that al Qaeda fighters were seen (on live video feed from a Predator drone orbiting the firefight) chasing Roberts, and later dragging his body away from the spot where he fell.
A second helicopter on the mission picked up the first helicopter's remaining SEAL crew and flew to where the crew member had fallen. The soldiers soon came under heavy fire, Air Force combat controller TSgt John A. Chapman was killed and two SEALs wounded. A third Chinook helicopter attempted to land a US Army Ranger quick reaction force and was shot down on the peak. Four soldiers from the third Chinook were killed in the subsequent firefight before overcoming the remaining Al Qaeda fighters.
Afterwards, U.S. forces pulled back and heavily bombarded rebel-held villages in the valley.
March 6, 2002
American aircraft strike a vehicle near the village of Shikin, killing 14.March 10, 2002
Major Bryan Hilferty states that the "major battle ended three or four days ago". The U.S. sends 400 of its troops back to base.March 12, 2002
By March 12th, following the bombing, joint U.S. and Afghan forces swept through the valley and cleared it of remaining rebel forces, with little significant combat by March 18th. A total of 8 U.S. soldiers were killed and 82 wounded, along with several Afghan militiamen; U.S. estimates of other casualties vary, indicating rebel casualties between 500 and 800 and at least 14 civilian casualties including women and children. An undetermined number of rebels is said to have escaped the fighting through rugged terrain.March 18, 2002
General Tommy Franks declare Operation ANACONDA over, "an unqualified and complete success". However, others noted that it ended in confusion and uncertainty about how successfully it had destroyed al Qaeda and Taliban forces.After Anaconda
In the wake of Operation ANACONDA, relations between US and UK forces on the ground soured when 'Stars and Stripes', the magazine for American forces and their families, openly criticized the Royal Marines for returning "empty-handed" from their search for al-Qaeda and Taliban fighters claiming that Britain's contribution to the campaign was "disappointing".' Numerous Canadian soldiers from the 3rd Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry (3PPCLI) were involved with Operation ANACONDA, and several Canadian snipers were given commendations from the U.S military for their actions in the operation.
New long-distance sniper record
In 1967, Gunnery Sergeant Carlos Hathcock set a record for the longest combat kill with a Browning M2 .50-calibre BMG machine gun mounting a telescopic sight. The distance was 2250 metres (1.40 miles). Hathcock was one of several individuals who employed the Browning M2 machine gun in a sniping role. This success led to the adoption of the BMG .50-calibre cartridge as a viable anti-personnel and anti-equipment sniper round. Hathcock's record stood firm until March 2002, when it was broken during Operation Anaconda by a Canadian sniper team from the Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry (PPCLI). This new record was set by Corporal Rob Furlong at a confirmed distance of 2430 metres (1.51 miles) using a MacMillan long-range TAC-50 rifle (.50-calibre). The target was a Taliban fighter armed with an RPK machine gun. Note: Arron Perry is a former Master Corporal in the Canadian Forces (and also in Furlong's PPCLI sniper team) who has sometimes mistakenly been credited with the record for the longest sniper kill in combat during Operation Anaconda. In fact, only days before Furlong's shot, Perry had already pipped Hathcock's 1967 record by hitting an enemy forward observer at a distance of 2310 metres (1.44 miles). Then, within days and on the same operation, Furlong achieved the new record.
See also
Timeline of Afghan history
References
- http://www.stripesonline.com
- http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/south_asia/1857599.stm BBC News
- http://www.globalsecurity.org/military/ops/oef-anaconda.htm
- http://www.cnn.com/2005/US/02/11/airforce.anaconda/index.html
- http://www.washingtonpost.com/ac2/wp-dyn?pagename=article&node=&contentId=A1951-2002May23¬Found=true
- http://strategypage.com/onpoint/articles/20020627.asp
- http://www.macleans.ca/topstories/canada/article.jsp?content=20060515_126689_126689
Further reading
- Bahmanyar, MIr. Afghanistan Cave Complexes 1979–2004: Mountain strongholds of the Mujahideen, Taliban & Al Qaeda. Osprey Publishing, 2004.
- Bahmanyar, Mir. Shadow Warriors: A History of the US Army Rangers. Osprey Publishing, 2005.
- Bahmanyar, Mir. US Army Ranger 1983-2002. Osprey Publishing, 2003.
- MacPherson, M. 2005. Roberts Ridge : A Story of Courage and Sacrifice on Takur Ghar Mountain, Afghanistan, Delacorte, ISBN 0553803638
- Naylor, S. 2005. Not a Good Day to Die : The Untold Story of Operation Anaconda, Berkley Hardcover ISBN 0425196097.
- US Army Center for Military History The U.S. Army in Afghanistan Operation ENDURING FREEDOM
"Operation Anaconda"