Operation Anaconda

Operation Anaconda
Part of the War in Afghanistan
Date March 1–18, 2002 Location Shahi Kot Valley, Paktia Province, Afghanistan Coordinates: 33°22′N 69°11′E / 33.367°N 69.183°E / 33.367; 69.183 Result Coalition victory, Taliban evacuates but suffers heavy casualties
Belligerents
Coalition:  United States  Australia Afghan Army  United Kingdom  Canada  Germany  France  Norway  Denmark  Turkey  New Zealand	Taliban insurgents al-Qaeda Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan
Commanders and leaders
Franklin L. Hagenbeck Rowan Tink	Saifur Rehman Mansoor Tohir Yo‘ldosh
Strength
30,000	600 – 1,000
Casualties and losses
15 killed 82 wounded	23 bodies found United States claimed: 500–800 killed

23 bodies found

Operation Anaconda took place in early March 2002. CIA Paramilitary Officers, working with their allies, attempted to destroy al-Qaeda and Taliban forces. The operation took place in the Shahi-Kot Valley and Arma Mountains southeast of Zormat. This operation was the first large-scale battle in the United States War in Afghanistan since the Battle of Tora Bora in December 2001. This was the first operation in the Afghanistan theater to involve a large number of U.S. conventional (i.e. non-Special Operations Forces) forces participating in direct combat activities.

Between March 2 and March 16, 2002 1,700 airlifted U.S. troops and 1,000 pro-government Afghan militia battled between 300 and 1,000 al-Qaeda and Taliban fighters to obtain control of the valley. The Taliban and al-Qaeda forces fired mortars and heavy machine guns from entrenched positions in the caves and ridges of the mountainous terrain at U.S. forces attempting to secure the area. Afghan Taliban commander Maulavi Saifur Rehman Mansoor later led Taliban reinforcements to join the battle. U.S. forces had estimated the strength of the rebels in the Shahi-Kot Valley at 150 to 200, but later information suggested the actual strength was of 500 to 1,000 fighters. The U.S. forces estimated they had killed at least 500 fighters over the duration of the battle, however journalists later noted that only 23 bodies were found - and critics suggested that after a couple days, the operation "was more driven by media obsession, than military necessity".

In early 2002 increasing signals and human intelligence indicated a strong presence of Taliban and al-Qaeda fighters in the Shahi-Kot Valley. Approximately 150 to 200 fighters were believed to be wintering and possibly preparing for a spring offensive in the valley. The signal intelligence also raised the possibility that high-value targets (HVTs) were present in the valley among which were Jalaluddin Haqqani and Saif Rahman. In late January and February plans were drawn up to assault the Shahi-Kot Valley using Afghan military forces (AMF) advised and assisted by U.S. special operators. Major General Franklin L. Hagenbeck, Commander, Combined Joint Task Force Mountain, was put in command of the operation. The plan called for an attack on the valley, along with units positioned in the mountains to the east to prevent escape into Pakistan. The expectation was that fighters, as in the case of Tora Bora several months earlier, would flee in the face of an assault and that blocker groups would simply be able to round them up.

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Wikipedia