Operation Khanjar (also known by the English name,
Operation Strike of the Sword ) is an American-led
military offensive against the Taliban in Helmand
province in southern Afghanistan. Approximately 4,000
Marines from the 2nd Marine Expeditionary Brigade along
with 650 Afghan Army soldiers are taking part in the
offensive. The operation began when the U.S.and Afghan
forces entered the Helmand river valley in the early
morning of July 2, 2009. This operation is the largest
Marine Corps-led operation since the Vietnam War.
Helmand Province's main population area is along the
Helmand River Valley. The Taliban has grown increasingly
powerful there, and the fairly small British contingent
in the area has had difficulty establishing security
there. This is the first major allied offensive in
Afghanistan since President Obama's new war policy was
announced earlier in 2009. The Marines plan on
establishing a presence in Helmand and working with local
leaders to increase security and to protect the civilian
population from the Taliban.
The Marines were dropped by helicopter at after
midnight, July 2 behind the Taliban lines, striking them
from the rear. The first shots of the operation were
fired around 06:15 a.m. when a Marine unit came under
Taliban small-arms fire. Cobra attack helicopters were
called in and attacked the Taliban with strafing runs at
the tree line from where the fire was coming from. During
daylight the Marines made contact with a group of about
20 militants holed up in a mud-brick compound. The
advancing troops refrained from using attack aircraft to
bomb the compound fearing there could be civilians inside
and the militants managed to escape. By the end of the
first day a Marine battalion had captured the Khanashin
District of the province. The Marines entered the capital
of the district in a convoy of 70 heavily armoured
vehicles, encountering no resistance. Another Marine
battalion entered Nawa, another district south of Lashkar
Gah.
As the Marines advanced throughout Helmand, they
generally encountered little resistance, as the Taliban
fell back on classic guerrilla tactics and avoided a
fight against superior forces. A number of Marines and
British troops died due to an increase in improvised
explosive devices (IEDs), but the Taliban did not choose
to stand and fight in most places. On August 11, 2009 ,
Marine forces attacked the Taliban-held town of Dahaneh
in southern Afghanistan.
Links and
Resources for Operation Khanajar/Strike of the
Sword:
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of Burma/Myanmar from the Anglo-Burmese Wars to the
pro-democracy Myanmar uprising of 2007.
Israel-Lebanon
Conflict--*New*--Background
information on the decades-long warfare and
conflict along the Israel/Lebanon
border.
Israeli-Palestinian
Conflict--*New*--Background
information on the long-running warfare between
Israel and the Palestinians!
Israeli-Palestinian
Battles and
Campaigns--*New*--Specific
information on the warfare raids, battles,
terrorist attacks, and retaliations between Israel
and the Palestinians!
Waziristan
War----The
War on Terror expands to Pakistan's Northwest
Frontier!
Hamas----The
terrorist/resistance group now ruling the
Palestinian Authority!
