Operation Mountain Thrust

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Operation Mountain Thrust
Part of the War in Afghanistan (2001–2021)
Datec. May 15, 2006 – July 31, 2006
Location
Result Tactical Coalition victory
Strategic Taliban withdrawal
Belligerents
Coalition:
 Afghanistan
 United Kingdom
 United States
 Canada
 Australia
 Romania
 Netherlands
 Czech Republic[1][2]
 Taliban
 al-Qaeda
Commanders and leaders
Canada David Fraser
Islamic Republic of Afghanistan Rahmatullah Raufi
Taliban Akhtar Usmani
Mullah Baqi Kakar
Mullah Mohammad Ibrahim Giwat (allegedly)
Strength
Islamic Republic of Afghanistan 3,500 security forces
United Kingdom 3,300
United States 2,300
Canada 2,200
Australia 1,100
Czech Republic 120
Total: 11,000+
At least 2,500 insurgents
Casualties and losses

Islamic Republic of Afghanistan 107 killed, 43 captured
United Kingdom 6 killed, 30 wounded
United States 24 killed, 50 wounded
Canada 4 killed, 30 wounded
Australia 11 wounded
France 2 killed, 1 wounded
Romania 1 killed, 4 wounded
11 PMC killed

Total:
155 killed
127+ wounded
43 captured
1,134 killed
387 captured

Operation Mountain Thrust was a NATO and Afghan-led operation in the War in Afghanistan, with more than 3,300 British troops, 2,300 U.S., 2,200 Canadian troops, about 3,500 Afghan soldiers and large air support. Its primary objective was to quell the ongoing Taliban insurgency in the south of the country.

Results[edit]

There was heavy fighting during June and July 2006, with Afghanistan seeing the bloodiest period since the fall of the Taliban regime. The Taliban showed great coordination in their attacks, even capturing two districts of Helmand province at the end of July, which were retaken a few days later. The Taliban suffered during the fighting more than 1,100 killed and close to 400 captured. Heavy aerial bombing was the main factor. But even so the coalition forces had close to 150 soldiers killed and 40 Afghan policemen captured by the Taliban. Tom Koenigs, the top U.N. official in Afghanistan, told the German news weekly Der Spiegel that the Taliban numbers of casualties do not reflect success. "The Taliban fighters reservoir is practically limitless," Koenigs told the magazine in an interview. "The movement will not be overcome by high casualty figures."

In the end, the operation did not manage to quell the Taliban insurgency. Control of the region was transferred from the Americans to NATO forces. Attacks continued and even intensified. On the first day that NATO took control, August 1, a British patrol was hit by enemy fire in Helmand province; three soldiers were killed and one wounded. On the same day 18 Taliban and one policeman were killed in an anti-Taliban coalition operation in the same province and 15 Afghan policemen were captured when they surrendered in Zabul province while a Taliban force was preparing to attack their police post. Also two days later there were several incidents in and around Kandahar, including a suicide bombing which killed 21 civilians. In the other attacks in and around Kandahar, four Canadian soldiers were killed and ten were wounded.

Known Encounters[edit]

See also[edit]

References[edit]

External links[edit]