Battle of Arghandab
Encyclopedia
The Battle of Arghandab (code-named Operation IBRAT by the insurgents) began on June 18, 2008, when NATO-led forces attacked Taliban militants in response to Taliban attacks in Arghandab District
and Kandahar
. The battle in Arghandab marked the second time in less than a year that the Taliban has tried to take control of the area.
in a co-ordinated assault which freed the 800-900 prisoners, approximately a third of whom were believed to have past ties to the insurgency. Coalition forces swept the area for escaped convicts, leading to the deaths of 15 militants in an air strike against a farm.
In the following days, it was widely reported that as many as 18 towns surrounding Kandahar had been overrun by Afghan militants, and that approximately 500 insurgents had moved into the neighbouring Arghandab District
15 km (9.3 mi) north of the city, to make use of its grape and pomegranate groves to conceal themselves while they prepared to re-take Kandahar. The insurgents warned locals to flee the area before heavy fighting began, while Coalition planes dropped leaflets
suggesting that civilians remain indoors. On June 16, 2008, Afghan National Army (ANA) and Coalition forces conducted a five-hour patrol through the area, and reported that they had seen no sign of an insurgent build-up and that any reports suggesting otherwise were "unfounded".
reported a small gunbattle with insurgents on the outskirts of the city.
Afghan insurgents destroyed culvert
s and bridges around Kandahar, while planting minefields in an attempt to limit Coalition mobility. The insurgents began sending shipments of weapons and ammunition into their neighboring towns, while Taliban commander Mullah Ahmedullah suggested that the insurgents were waiting for the NATO-led forces to make the first move.
Canadian soldiers increased their presence at "high-risk" targets in Kandahar, including a power station, the residence of governor Ahmed Wali Karzai
, Sarposa Prison
and their own reconstruction base. A 22:00 curfew
was placed on vehicles in the city.
Akhtar Mohammad, who had been among the escapees from the Sarposa Prison, reported that he was among approximately 200 insurgents in Zhari, preparing to enter Aghandab in advance of the battle.
Denis Thompson confirmed that the insurgents had been defeated outside of Kandahar City, but also added that they could regroup and attack again.
Australian journalist Jamie Kidston was shot in the arm while working for NATO and filming Canadian troops in combat.
One local resident was killed, and another wounded. Three other civilian contractors working for ISAF were also wounded.
Arghandab District
Arghandab is a district in the central part of Kandahar Province, Afghanistan. It borders Panjwai and Khakrez districts to the west, Shah Wali Kot District to the north and east and Kandahar District to the east and south....
and Kandahar
Kandahar
Kandahar is the second largest city in Afghanistan, with a population of about 512,200 as of 2011. It is the capital of Kandahar Province, located in the south of the country at about 1,005 m above sea level...
. The battle in Arghandab marked the second time in less than a year that the Taliban has tried to take control of the area.
Background
On June 13, 2008, Taliban fighters attacked the Sarposa PrisonSarposa Prison attack
The Sarposa Prison attack was a raid on the Sarposa Prison in Kandahar, Afghanistan by Taliban insurgents on June 13, 2008. One of the largest attacks by Afghan insurgents, the raid freed 400-1000 prisoners...
in a co-ordinated assault which freed the 800-900 prisoners, approximately a third of whom were believed to have past ties to the insurgency. Coalition forces swept the area for escaped convicts, leading to the deaths of 15 militants in an air strike against a farm.
In the following days, it was widely reported that as many as 18 towns surrounding Kandahar had been overrun by Afghan militants, and that approximately 500 insurgents had moved into the neighbouring Arghandab District
Arghandab District
Arghandab is a district in the central part of Kandahar Province, Afghanistan. It borders Panjwai and Khakrez districts to the west, Shah Wali Kot District to the north and east and Kandahar District to the east and south....
15 km (9.3 mi) north of the city, to make use of its grape and pomegranate groves to conceal themselves while they prepared to re-take Kandahar. The insurgents warned locals to flee the area before heavy fighting began, while Coalition planes dropped leaflets
Airborne leaflet propaganda
Airborne leaflet propaganda is a form of psychological warfare in which leaflets are scattered in the air. Military forces have used aircraft to drop leaflets to alter the behavior of people in enemy-controlled territory, sometimes in conjunction with air strikes...
suggesting that civilians remain indoors. On June 16, 2008, Afghan National Army (ANA) and Coalition forces conducted a five-hour patrol through the area, and reported that they had seen no sign of an insurgent build-up and that any reports suggesting otherwise were "unfounded".
Build-up
Despite reassurances a battle was not looming, the Canadians called an emergency meeting with the ANA on June 16, 2008, and the following day coalition forces flew 700 ANA troops from Kabul into the region on June 17, 2008, as hundreds of civilians fled the area, and Canadian ForcesCanadian Forces
The Canadian Forces , officially the Canadian Armed Forces , are the unified armed forces of Canada, as constituted by the National Defence Act, which states: "The Canadian Forces are the armed forces of Her Majesty raised by Canada and consist of one Service called the Canadian Armed Forces."...
reported a small gunbattle with insurgents on the outskirts of the city.
Afghan insurgents destroyed culvert
Culvert
A culvert is a device used to channel water. It may be used to allow water to pass underneath a road, railway, or embankment. Culverts can be made of many different materials; steel, polyvinyl chloride and concrete are the most common...
s and bridges around Kandahar, while planting minefields in an attempt to limit Coalition mobility. The insurgents began sending shipments of weapons and ammunition into their neighboring towns, while Taliban commander Mullah Ahmedullah suggested that the insurgents were waiting for the NATO-led forces to make the first move.
Canadian soldiers increased their presence at "high-risk" targets in Kandahar, including a power station, the residence of governor Ahmed Wali Karzai
Ahmed Wali Karzai
Ahmed Wali Karzai was a prominent politician in Afghanistan and the younger paternal half-brother of Afghan President Hamid Karzai and son of Abdul Ahad Karzai. As an elder of the Popalzai Pashtun tribe, he was elected to the Kandahar Provincial Council in 2005 and served as its chairman. Karzai...
, Sarposa Prison
Sarposa prison
The Sarposa prison is a high security prison in Kandahar, Afghanistan, used to hold Taliban militants and other criminals including drug traffickers...
and their own reconstruction base. A 22:00 curfew
Curfew
A curfew is an order specifying a time after which certain regulations apply. Examples:# An order by a government for certain persons to return home daily before a certain time...
was placed on vehicles in the city.
Akhtar Mohammad, who had been among the escapees from the Sarposa Prison, reported that he was among approximately 200 insurgents in Zhari, preparing to enter Aghandab in advance of the battle.
The battle
NATO-led forces entered Arghandab on June 18, 2008, and were met by only small pockets of resistance. An air strike in Tabin was reported to have killed 20 insurgents, while two ANA soldiers were killed in a firefight that left 16 insurgents dead in Khohak. On June 19, Brigadier GeneralBrigadier General
Brigadier general is a senior rank in the armed forces. It is the lowest ranking general officer in some countries, usually sitting between the ranks of colonel and major general. When appointed to a field command, a brigadier general is typically in command of a brigade consisting of around 4,000...
Denis Thompson confirmed that the insurgents had been defeated outside of Kandahar City, but also added that they could regroup and attack again.
Australian journalist Jamie Kidston was shot in the arm while working for NATO and filming Canadian troops in combat.
One local resident was killed, and another wounded. Three other civilian contractors working for ISAF were also wounded.