Kajaki
Encyclopedia
Kajaki is a village
in southern Afghanistan
, and is split between two townsteads, Kajaki 'Olya, and Kajaki Sofla. It is the district centre of Kajaki District
in Helmand Province
. North east of the village is an important hydro power station for electricity and irrigation projects, the Kajaki Dam. The village itself hugs the east side of the Helmand river, right after it makes its first turn south, one km out from the dam. Kajaki is bordered by the town Payson to its west, Tangeye, an abandoned bazaar to its north, Shabez Kheyl, and Kanzi to its north west, all across the Helmand.
It was announced in December 2006 that British Corporal Mark Wright
would be posthumously awarded the George Cross
for his actions after entering an unmarked minefield near Kajaki, in an attempt to save the lives of other injured soldiers.
On August 23, 2007 three British soldiers
of the Royal Anglian Regiment
were killed in a suspected friendly fire
incident northwest of Kajaki. The soldiers were on patrol when they were attacked by Taliban forces. A pair of United States Air Force
F-15
fighter jets were called in to provide close air support
dropping one 500lb bomb in support of British forces; it is believed that this bomb exploded close to the British position killing three soldiers and injuring two others. On August 26th 2007 the Sunday Telegraph reported that American officials were investigating the possibility that the bombing was the result of a failure in the bombs guidance system rather than being the result of pilot error.
Village
A village is a clustered human settlement or community, larger than a hamlet with the population ranging from a few hundred to a few thousand , Though often located in rural areas, the term urban village is also applied to certain urban neighbourhoods, such as the West Village in Manhattan, New...
in southern Afghanistan
Afghanistan
Afghanistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan, is a landlocked country located in the centre of Asia, forming South Asia, Central Asia and the Middle East. With a population of about 29 million, it has an area of , making it the 42nd most populous and 41st largest nation in the world...
, and is split between two townsteads, Kajaki 'Olya, and Kajaki Sofla. It is the district centre of Kajaki District
Kajaki District
Kajaki is a district in the east of Helmand Province, Afghanistan. Its population is by a vast majority Pashtun, and stood at 60,700 in 2005. The district centre is the village of Kajaki.-References:* , dated 2002-12-31, accessed 2006-08-03 ....
in Helmand Province
Helmand Province
Helmand is one of the 34 provinces of Afghanistan. It is in the southwest of the country. Its capital is Lashkar Gah. The Helmand River flows through the mainly desert region, providing water for irrigation....
. North east of the village is an important hydro power station for electricity and irrigation projects, the Kajaki Dam. The village itself hugs the east side of the Helmand river, right after it makes its first turn south, one km out from the dam. Kajaki is bordered by the town Payson to its west, Tangeye, an abandoned bazaar to its north, Shabez Kheyl, and Kanzi to its north west, all across the Helmand.
It was announced in December 2006 that British Corporal Mark Wright
Mark Wright (GC)
Corporal Mark William Wright, GC was a soldier in the British Army. He served in the 3rd Battalion, Parachute Regiment in Northern Ireland, Iraq and Afghanistan. He died in Helmand Province in Afghanistan after entering a minefield in an attempt to save the lives of other injured soldiers...
would be posthumously awarded the George Cross
George Cross
The George Cross is the highest civil decoration of the United Kingdom, and also holds, or has held, that status in many of the other countries of the Commonwealth of Nations...
for his actions after entering an unmarked minefield near Kajaki, in an attempt to save the lives of other injured soldiers.
On August 23, 2007 three British soldiers
British Army
The British Army is the land warfare branch of Her Majesty's Armed Forces in the United Kingdom. It came into being with the unification of the Kingdom of England and Scotland into the Kingdom of Great Britain in 1707. The new British Army incorporated Regiments that had already existed in England...
of the Royal Anglian Regiment
Royal Anglian Regiment
The Royal Anglian Regiment is an infantry regiment of the British Army, part of the Queen's Division.The regiment was formed on 1 September 1964 as the first of the new large infantry regiments, through the amalgamation of the four regiments of the East Anglian Brigade.* 1st Battalion from the...
were killed in a suspected friendly fire
Friendly fire
Friendly fire is inadvertent firing towards one's own or otherwise friendly forces while attempting to engage enemy forces, particularly where this results in injury or death. A death resulting from a negligent discharge is not considered friendly fire...
incident northwest of Kajaki. The soldiers were on patrol when they were attacked by Taliban forces. A pair of United States Air Force
United States Air Force
The United States Air Force is the aerial warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the American uniformed services. Initially part of the United States Army, the USAF was formed as a separate branch of the military on September 18, 1947 under the National Security Act of...
F-15
F-15 Eagle
The McDonnell Douglas F-15 Eagle is a twin-engine, all-weather tactical fighter designed by McDonnell Douglas to gain and maintain air superiority in aerial combat. It is considered among the most successful modern fighters with over 100 aerial combat victories with no losses in dogfights...
fighter jets were called in to provide close air support
Close air support
In military tactics, close air support is defined as air action by fixed or rotary winged aircraft against hostile targets that are close to friendly forces, and which requires detailed integration of each air mission with fire and movement of these forces.The determining factor for CAS is...
dropping one 500lb bomb in support of British forces; it is believed that this bomb exploded close to the British position killing three soldiers and injuring two others. On August 26th 2007 the Sunday Telegraph reported that American officials were investigating the possibility that the bombing was the result of a failure in the bombs guidance system rather than being the result of pilot error.
External links
- Map of Kajaki district (PDF)