Military operations of the War in Afghanistan (2001–present)

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v • d • e War in Afghanistan (2001–present) Qala-i-Jangi – Tora Bora – Anaconda – Red Wing – Lashkagar – Mountain Thrust – Helmand – Panjwaii – Medusa – Mountain Fury – Falcon Summit – Sangin – Achilles – Hoover – Chora – Firebase Anaconda – Harekate Yolo – Musa Qala – Karez

v • d • e Civil war in Afghanistan Soviet involvement – Government collapse – Anarchy – Taliban control – US/NATO involvement

Contents 1 Background 1.1 The 9-11 attacks 2 The War in Afghanistan 2001 to 2003 3 2004 Operations 4 2005 Operations 5 2006 Operations 6 2007 Operations 7 List of Battles and Operations 8 See also 9 References

[edit] Background

From May 1996, Osama bin Laden had been living in Afghanistan along with other members of al-Qaeda, operating terrorist training camps in a loose alliance with the Taliban.^[1] Following the 1998 US embassy bombings in Africa, the US military launched submarine-based cruise missiles at these camps with limited effect on their overall operations.

The UN Security Council had issued Resolutions 1267 and 1333 in 1999 and 2000 directed towards the Taliban which applied financial and military hardware sanctions to encourage them to turn over bin Laden to appropriate authorities for trial in the deadly bombings of two U.S. embassies in Africa in August 1998, and close terrorist training camps.

[edit] The 9-11 attacks

Main articles: September 11, 2001 attacks and 9/11 Commission

After the September 11, 2001, attacks, investigators rapidly accumulated evidence implicating Osama bin Laden. In a taped statement, bin Laden publicly acknowledged his and al-Qaeda's direct involvement in the 9-11 attacks. In an audiotape posted on a website that the U.S. claims is "frequently used by al-Qaeda", on May 21, 2006, bin Laden said he had personally directed the 19 hijackers.

[edit] The War in Afghanistan 2001 to 2003

Main articles: War in Afghanistan (2001–present), Afghanistan War order of battle, and Taliban insurgency

See also: Tarnak Farm incident

The War in Afghanistan (2001–present) began on October 7, 2001, as Operation Enduring Freedom, a response to the September 11, 2001 attacks on the United States of America (U.S.). This marked the beginning of the U.S. War on Terrorism. The stated purpose of the invasion was to capture Osama bin Laden, destroy al-Qaeda, and remove the Taliban regime which had provided support and safe harbour to al-Qaeda.

[edit] 2004 Operations

Main articles: Timeline of the War in Afghanistan (August 2004) and 2004-2006 Waziristan conflict

[edit] 2005 Operations

Operation Archer - The Canadian Forces contribution to Operation Enduring Freedom in Afghanistan Operation Argus - Canadian Forces team of strategic military planners support the Government of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan

[edit] 2006 Operations

Main article: Coalition combat operations in Afghanistan in 2006

In January 2006, NATO’s focus in southern Afghanistan was to form Provincial Reconstruction Teams with the British leading in Helmand Province and the Netherlands and Canada would lead similar deployments in Orūzgān Province and Kandahar Province respectively. The Americans with 2,200 troops stayed in control of Zabul Province. Local Taliban figures voiced opposition to the incoming force and pledged to resist it.

[edit] 2007 Operations

Main article: Coalition combat operations in Afghanistan in 2007

US and NATO ISAF operations, alongside Afghan National Army forces, continued against the Taliban through 2007. Significant military operations in 2007 included operations around Sangin, Operation Achilles, the Battle of Chora, Operation Harekate Yolo and the Battle of Musa Qala, amongst others.

[edit] List of Battles and Operations

This is a list of military operations of the War in Afghanistan (2001–present). You can sort by any column by clicking on the hourglass in the column title.

Operation Name	From Date	To Date	Location	Purpose/Result
Battle of Musa Qala	20071207	20070709?	Musa Qala	Ongoing battle
Battle of Chora	20070615	20070617	Chora	Battle: This battle has proved to be the biggest Taliban offensive of the year in Afghanistan, and resulted in the death of more than 100 people in just three days. The battle involved a significant number of Dutch forces
Battle of Firebase Anaconda	20070808	20070808	Uruzgan province	Battle: A group of roughly 75 Taliban militants mounted a rare frontal assault on a United States-led coalition base
Battle of Qala-i-Jangi	20011125	20011201	Qala-i-Jangi District	Battle: It began with the uprising of Taliban prisoners held at Qala-i-Jangi fortress, and escalated into one of the bloodiest engagements of the war in Afghanistan
Battle of Panjwaii	200607??	200610??	Panjwaii district	Battle: Decisive Canadian victory, Panjwaii cleared of Taliban
Battle of Takur Ghar	20020303	20020304	the peak of Takur Ghar	Battle: A helicopter caring a SEAL team went down and began receiving fire from hostile forces.
Battle of Tora Bora	200112??	200112??	Pachir Wa Agam District, Nangarhar province	Battle: Attempt and Failure to kill or capture Osama bin Laden
Operation Accius	20021128	200406??	throughout Afghanistan	Contingency: The Canadian military's contribution to the civilian-led United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan(UNAMA)
Operation Achilles	20070306	20070530	the Sangin and Kajaki districts of Helmand	Counter Insurgency: An attempt to stabilise the security situation in the province
Operation Anaconda	20020301	20020318	Shahi Kot Valley and Paktika Province	Counter Insurgency: Attempt to destroy al-Qaeda and Taliban forces
Operation Apollo	200110??	200310??	Throughout Afghanistan	Contingency: Was the codename for an operation conducted by Canadian Forces in support of the United States in its military operations in Afghanistan
Operation Archer	200507??	20060831	throughout Afghanistan	Contingency: The Canadian Forces contribution to Operation Enduring Freedom in Afghanistan
Operation Argus	200509??	Ongoing	throughout Afghanistan	Contingency and Security: Canadian Forces team of strategic military planners to support the Government of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan
Operation Athena	200308??	20051018	Kabul and Kandahar	Security: The Canadian Forces contribution to the International Security Assistance Force in Afghanistan
Operation Asbury Park	20040602	20040617		Counter Insurgency: Was characterized by atypical fighting on the side of the tactics of the Taliban and other guerillas encountered
Operation Asbury Park II	2004????	2004????	the Dey Chopan region	Counter Insurgency: Army infantrymen, Afghan National Army troops, and attached Marines again sparred with ACM forces in the region, once again inflicting significant losses against the enemy
Operation Avalanche	20040211	20040211	the entire eastern, southeastern and southern portion	Counter Insurgency: To search out Al-Qaeda members and illegal weapons while conducting a village assessment
Operation Buzzard	20020529	20020709	Khowst region	Counter Insurgency: The operation reflects the success that coalition forces have enjoyed in forcing Al Qaida and Taliban to abandon a large-scale presence in much of the region
Operation Celtics	200505??	200505??	Counter Insurgency and Humanitarian: to hunt down enemy fighters and provide humanitarian support
Operation Condor	20020517	20020522	the mountains of Paktia province	Counter Insurgency: Engaged in combat with Al Qaida and Taliban forces
Operation Counterstrike	20060105	20060105	Kandahar Airfield
Operation Diablo Dragnet	20070719	20070719	Kandahar Airfield	Humanitarian: Linked People to Government
Operation Diablo Reach Back	20050607	20050627	Kandahar Province	Combined Task Force Bayonet forces engaged Taliban forces in some of the fiercest fighting seen this year
Operation Dragon Tree	200408??	200408??	Kandahar	Counter Insurgency: Searched for weapons caches
Operation Falcon Summit	20061215	200701??	the Panjawi and Zhari districts of Kandahar	Counter Insurgency: Had the intention of expelling Taliban fighters
Operation Fingal	200112??	at least 20020620	Kabul	Security: An international security assistance force
Operation Flashman	20040716	20040716	Paktika Province	Humanitarian and Security: Bring stability to the area as well as establishing voter registration sites
Operation Hammer (Chakush)	20070724	Ongoing	the Upper Gereshk Valley in Helmand province	Counter Insurgency: The operation is continuing the momentum towards expelling Taliban forces
Operation Harekate Yolo	20071001	20071108	North-west Afghanistan	Counter Insurgency: Targeted hostile forces in the northern provinces
Operation Haven Denial	20030702	20030706	the Paktika and Khost provinces	Counter Insurgency: Targeted against Taliban remnants and Al Qaeda fighters
Operation Headstrong	2003????	2004????	Kabul	Law enforcement: Involved the training of Afghan commandos by British special forces to seek out and destroy drug laboratories and to confiscate drug shipments
Operation Herrick	2002????	2002????	throughout Afghanistan	Contingency: The codename for all the British operations in Afghanistan
Operation Hoover	20070524	20070525	Kandahar Province district of Zhari	Counter Insurgency: Was a Canadian-led offensive against the Taliban
Operation Jacana	????????	????????
Operation Lightning Resolve	200407??	200407??	towns and villages throughout Afghanistan	Security: Provide security in support of the first democratic elections ever in Afghanistan
Operation Lions Pride	20060421	20060421	Korengal Valley	Humanitarian: To provide medical assistance to more than 3,100 Afghans
Operation Mavericks	200504??	200504??	The mountains of Eastern Afghanistan	Counter Insurgency: Detained suspected terrorists and confiscating several weapons and explosives caches
Operation Medusa	20060902	20060917		Counter Insurgency: Was a Canadian-led offensive by major elements of the International Security Assistance Force and Afghan National Army.
Operation Mountain Blizzard	200401??	on or about 12 March 2004	the south, southeast, and eastern portions, Afghanistan	Counter Insurgency: Killed 22 enemy combatants and discovered caches with 3,648 rockets, 3,202 mortar rounds, 2,944 rocket- propelled grenades, 3,000 rifle rounds, 2,232 mines and tens of thousands of rounds of small-arms ammunition
Operation Mountain Fury	20060916	20070115	Paktika, Khost, Ghazni, Paktia, Logar	Counter Insurgency: Was a NATO-led operation as a follow up operation to Operation Medusa, to clear Taliban rebels from the eastern provinces of Afghanistan
Operation Mountain Lion	20060411	2006????	near the Pakistan border	Counter Insurgency: Searching along the border with Pakistan for Al Qaeda and former Taliban forces
Operation Mountain Resolve	20031107	????????	Nuristan and Kunar provinces	Counter Insurgency: The operation involved an airdrop into the Hindu Kush Mountains by the US 10th Mountain Division and resulted in the killing of Hezbi commander Ghulam Sakhee
Operation Mountain Storm	on or about 20040312	????????	the south, southeast, and eastern portions of Afghanistan	With the aim of cornering al-Qaeda and Taliban remnants
Operation Mountain Sweep	20020818	at least 20020828	mainly around Dormat and Narizah, south of Khowst and Gardez	Was designed to search out al Qaeda and Taliban forces and information about the terrorist organizations
Operation Mountain Thrust	200605??	20060731	Kandahar, Helmand, Paktika, Zabul and Uruzgan	The operation was the largest offensive since the fall of the Taliban in 2001. Its primary objective was to quell the ongoing Taliban insurgency in the south of the country.
Operation Mountain Viper	200308??	200309??	the mountains of Daychopan district, Zabul province	Sought to uncover Taliban rebels. One-hundred-and-twenty-four militants, five Afghan Army personnel and one US soldier were killed in the operation.
Operation Neptune	20050809	2005????	Nawa District
Operation Nibbio	????????	????????		Italian code name for Enduring Freedom. Operation Sparviero is the Italian Army contribution to ISAF in Kabul
Operation Northern Wind	????????	????????
Operation Oracle	????????	????????
Operation Palk Mesher	200708??	200708??	Helmand Province	to disrupt and eliminate insurgents
Operation Pickaxe-Handle (Pashto)	20070530	20070614	Helmand province	Was a British-led NATO operation
Operation Pil	20051016	20051023	the Watapor Valley of the Kunar Province	to improve security and assist in stabilizing the government in the troubled region
Operation Pizmah	2005????	20051215	Zabul Province	To reestablish a coalition presence in the districts of Dey Chopan, Argandab and Khaki-Afghan
Operation Ptarmigan	20020415	????????	Gardez and Khost regions	The name given to the British share of military actions with U.S. and coalition forces
Operation Red Wing	20050628	20050628	Kunar province	Was a counterterrorism mission
Operation School House	????????	????????	Kabul	The program, started by U.S. and coalition personnel from the Kabul Compound, receives donated school supplies from the U.S. and distributes them to needy schools
Operation Silicon	20070430	????????	Upper Helmand Province	A sub-operation of Operation Achilles, carried out by NATO (mostly British) and Afghan troops. Recaptured Gereshk from the Taliban[1].
Operation Silver	2007????	2007????		Counter Insurgency: Was conducted to keep up the pressure on the Taliban in the hopes of blunting their expected spring offensive
Operation Sleigh Ride	200512??	200512??	forward operating bases at Salerno, Ghazni, Orgun-E and Sharana	Christmas-time Morale boost for the troops in Afghanistan
Operation Slipper	????????	????????		The Australian Defence Force's contribution to operations in Afghanistan
Operation Snipe	20020502	20020513	the remote Afghan mountains	A British Royal Marine search and clear operation over a significant area believed to be used as a base by Al Qaida and Taliban forces
Operation Sparviero	????????	????????
Operation Torii	????????	????????
Operation Veritas	20011007	20020731	Throughout fghanistan	The codename used for British military operations against the Taliban government of Afghanistan
Operation Vigilance	20050415	200504??	Wardak Province	Counter insurgency and Humanitarian: Targated three individuals that coalition forces were trying to kill or captureand and included humanitarian aid drops in several villages
Operation Volcano	200702??	200702??	near the Kajaki hydroelectric dam	Was a British operation to clear a Taliban base, consisting of 25 compounds. Was part of Operation Achilles
Operation Warrior Sweep	20030720	200307??	the Zormat Valley, Paktia province
Operation Wyconda Pincer	????????	????????

[edit] See also

• Afghanistan War order of battle
• British forces casualties in Afghanistan
• Canadian Forces casualties in Afghanistan
• Civilian casualties of the War in Afghanistan (2001–present)
• Coalition casualties in Afghanistan
• Global Islamic Insurgency
• International Security Assistance Force
• List of Coalition aircraft losses in Afghanistan
• Taliban insurgency
• U.S. government response to the September 11, 2001 attacks
• War on Terrorism: Allies
• Soviet war in Afghanistan
• War in Afghanistan (2001–present)

[edit] References

• DOD announces 101st Airborne deployment
• Another 1,500 British troops being sent to keep control in Afghanistan
• 10th Mountain passes torch to 82nd Airborne
• U.S. sending more troops to thwart Taliban offensive
• DOD Announces Afghanistan Force Rotation
• Details of ISAF and PRT deployments in Afghanistan - 2006
• DoD Announces Unit for Next Afghanistan Rotation
• 4th Brigade Combat Team Task Force Deploys to Afghanistan
• DoD Announces Units for Next Afghanistan Rotation
• NATO-ISAF: Allied Joint Force Command Brunssum, Netherlands
• Combined Forces Command - Afghanistan
• Combined Joint Task Force 76
• Task Force Phoenix
• Operation Enduring Freedom Rotation Adjustment Announced
• Australian Defence Force - Operation Slipper
• British Operations in Afghanistan
• Canadian Forces Operations in Afghanistan
• News about Canadian Forces in Kandahar, via MILNEWS.ca
• 1er Régiment de Parachutistes d'Infanterie de Marine
• Dutch deployment to Afghanistan
• Romanian operations in Afghanistan

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