Battle of Wanat
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| Battle of Wanat | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Part of the War in Afghanistan (2001–present) | |||||||
| |||||||
| Belligerents | |||||||
 United States, Afghan National Army |
Taliban,  al-Qaeda, Hezb-i-Islami and others[1] | ||||||
| Strength | |||||||
|
45 American, 25 Afghan | About 200 | ||||||
| Casualties and losses | |||||||
|
9 killed, 15 wounded (U.S.); 4 wounded (ANA)[1] |
At least 40 killed, 40 wounded[2] | ||||||
The Battle of Wanat occurred on July 13 2008 when approximately 200 Taliban guerrillas attacked a coalition outpost in Dara-I-Pech district, in the far eastern province of Kunar, Afghanistan, which was defended by Chosen Company, 2nd Battalion (Airborne) 503rd Infantry Regiment, 173rd Airborne Brigade Combat Team. The battle resulted in about 50 deaths, with nine American soldiers dead and at least 40 militants dead.
The attack was the deadliest for U.S. troops in Afghanistan since June 2005, when 16 American troops were killed when their helicopter was shot down by a rocket-propelled grenade in Operation Red Wing.[3]
Background
In the previous few days 70 American and Afghan troops had begun to build a base at Wanat with the mission of disrupting Taliban activity in the area. Similar, small bases are common along the border with Pakistan and attacks occur on them with some frequency.[4] Upon discovering the American presence in the area, militants occupied the town (causing its civilian inhabitants to flee) before attacking the unfinished American base. The outpost consisted of a base with a smaller observation post located nearby.[5]
The Battle
The attack on the American and Afghan troops began around 4:30 a.m. and lasted throughout the day. Over one hundred militants fired machine guns, rocket-propelled grenades and mortars from homes and a mosque in the village at the base. Another 100 militants attacked the observation post from farmland to the east.[5]
Coalition troops responded with machine guns, grenades, and artillery. The Taliban briefly breached the walls of the compound and entered inside the outpost and hand to hand combat ensued. Coalition soldiers managed to repulse the attacking militants. AH-64 attack helicopters, a B-1 lancer bomber, A-10, and F-15E aircraft were called in to strike the militant positions. After the militants retreated, mop up operations followed, and the Taliban withdrew from the town.[5]
Nine U.S. soldiers were killed in the attack, mainly in the observation post. Several dozen militants were reported to be killed, along with fifteen U.S. and four Afghan soldiers wounded.[5]
Aftermath
After the battle additional US troops were sent to man the base.[6] Three days after the engagement the United States and Afghan armies withdrew from Wanat. The Associated Press believes that the attack underscores a general gain in strength of Afghan militants.[7]
References
- ^ a b "Al Jazeera English - CENTRAL/S. ASIA - Taliban fighters storm US base". Retrieved 2008-07-16.
- ^ Deadly raid on U.S. military base raises doubts, Associated Press, "Remote Afghan Outpost Reinforced After Attack That Killed 9 U.S. Troops", July 15, 2008.
- ^ "'Heroic' fighting repels Afghan militants - CNN.com". Retrieved 2008-07-16.
- ^ "ABC News: Even 500 Lbs Bombs Couldn't Stop Taliban". Retrieved 2008-07-16.
- ^ a b c d Gall, Carlotta, and Eric Schmitt, "Taliban Breached NATO Base In Deadly Clash", New York Times, July 15, 2008, pg. 6.
- ^ Associated Press, "Remote Afghan Outpost Reinforced After Attack That Killed 9 U.S. Troops", July 15, 2008.
- ^ "U.S. troops quit remote Afghan base after attack". Retrieved 2008-07-16.
External links
- http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/07/13/AR2008071300292.html?hpid=topnews
- http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2008-07/14/content_8540654.htm
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