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| Afghanistan |
| 9 Americans killed in attack in Afghanistan |
| 2008-07-14 |
| Updated with a few more details KABUL, Afghanistan - U.S. troops on Monday reinforced a remote military outpost after well-armed militants got inside and killed nine American soldiers in the deadliest assault on U.S. forces in Afghanistan in three years. And the inimitable AP spin... Yesterday's assault has deepened doubts about the U.S. military's ability to contain Islamic militants. Attacks in Afghanistan are becoming more complex, intense and better coordinated than a year ago, U.S. officials say. Militants with machine guns, rocket-propelled grenades and mortars attacked the remote base in the village of Wanat in the mountainous northeastern province of Kunar at about 4:30 a.m. Sunday, with insurgents firing from homes and a mosque. It was a "concerted attempt" to overrun the small base near the Pakistan border that was built only about three days ago, said an official with NATO's International Security Assistance Force. The official, who spoke on condition of anonymity because he wasn't authorized to release the information, estimated the attacking force was several hundred. An unknown number of militants got inside the outpost, the reason the fighters were able to inflict such high casualties, said a second military official who also spoke on condition of anonymity. After the breach, U.S. troops pushed back against the invading militants, and attack helicopters swooped in. The second official said more than 40 insurgents were killed in the fighting. Fifteen U.S. soldiers also were wounded. |
| Posted by:tu3031 |
| #10 The most amazing thing to me is that the Talibs were able to approch the outpost at all for a surprise attack. Wasn't there a defensive perimeter set up atound the camp (of course, I don't know the terrain - this might not have been possible for that location). In any case, even if we cannot intrude into the high holy soverign cesspool of Pakland, why isn't everything goatpath-sized and above on the Afganistan side mined to hell and back, with more mines on the mines (again, the terran might make this impossible, but lets do what we can). Any tunnels should be immediately collapsed as well. I will not accept any sob-stories regarding poor civilians having to use them as trade routes, etc.. We know who the enemy is and where they come from; let's just announce that as of some date anyone using that area will automaticaly be considered a hostile. Destroyng the roach nest would definitely be best, but destroying their means of ingress and egress will have to do for now as second best. |
| Posted by: Cruck Smith4712 2008-07-14 18:45 |
| #9 When the phrase, "remote military outpost" is used, does that mean the main portion of the battalion was 50 miles away (or 100 or 150)? Considering where they are don't exclude distance in elevation too. |
| Posted by: Procopius2k 2008-07-14 16:44 |
| #8 It seems that the bad guys had the element of surprise and furthermore that the bad guys had considerable command coordination. It's good no helicopters were lost. When the phrase, "remote military outpost" is used, does that mean the main portion of the battalion was 50 miles away (or 100 or 150)? |
| Posted by: mhw 2008-07-14 16:08 |
| #7 This outpost is probably on a major strategic artery for the bad guyz and they know it. Once established, it will neutralize much of the enemy activity in a wide area. |
| Posted by: Anonymoose 2008-07-14 16:05 |
| #6 Any word on what US units were involved? Marines? SOCOM? |
| Posted by: Clinemble Henbane7713 2008-07-14 15:26 |
| #5 If you look at the story from afar without AP's BS spin ("Yesterday's assault has deepened doubts about the U.S. military's ability to contain Islamic militants"), I would rather doubt they will be able to pull that off again. We have re-learned some hard COIN lessons in Iraq, and Afghanistan. They pulled it off once, but they will die in large numbers if they try it again. |
| Posted by: anymouse 2008-07-14 15:26 |
| #4 near the Pakistan border Common denominator here! |
| Posted by: Paul 2008-07-14 12:43 |
| #3 The first stories AP, the details, AFP. |
| Posted by: tu3031 2008-07-14 11:58 |
| #2 thanks for the details tu3031 - I haven't been able to find that info - where did you see it? So, if these numbers are even remotely accurate, it was something like a battalion size enemy force against a company size coalition force. |
| Posted by: Legolas 2008-07-14 11:23 |
| #1 More... "It was a well-organised attack, it was a ferocious attack," said Captain Mike Finney, a spokesman for the NATO-led International Security Assistance Force."The troops in the combat outpost fought back hard to make sure the insurgents did not overrun the place." Hours of fighting, including air strikes, prevented the militants from taking over the base, with rebel casualties in the "high double figures", said Finney. Between 400 and 500 militants from various anti-government factions including Taliban, Al-Qaeda and the Hezb-i-Islami faction were involved, a senior Afghan defence ministry official said on condition of anonymity. "They attacked the newly established base there and reached even its walls. At one point they had entered the base," he said, citing information from the ground. I don't know if the soldiers died inside the base or outside but the enemy had reached the walls." Troops were able to push them back with ground fighting and attack helicopters. "Reports we got from the area suggest that about 40 enemy were killed and around the same number of them were wounded," he said. ISAF's Finney said between 100 and 150 Afghan and international troops had moved into the outpost, near the village of Wanat, less than a week earlier. |
| Posted by: tu3031 2008-07-14 10:15 |