2008 in Afghanistan

Source: Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.

2008
in
Afghanistan

Decades:
See also:Other events of 2008
List of years in Afghanistan

Events from the year 2008 in Afghanistan.

Incumbents

January

  • January 14: The 2008 Kabul Serena Hotel attack leaves six people dead.
  • January 25: A small element of U.S. and Afghan National Army soldiers led by Staff Sergeant Robert James Miller was conducting a combat reconnaissance patrol through the Gowardesh Valley, Kunar Province, when they engaged a force of 15-20 insurgents occupying prepared fighting positions. After calling in close air support, Staff Sergeant Miller led a small squad forward to conduct battle damage assessment when over 100 insurgents ambushed the squad, Miller displayed extraordinary valour by drawing fire away from his squad, killing 10 insurgents in the process. His actions cost him his life, but he saved the lives of 7 members of his team and 15 Afghan National Army soldiers, he was awarded the Medal of Honor.

February

  • February 17: 2008 Kandahar bombing kills 100 people, the deadliest suicide bombing of the war.
  • February 18: The Taliban leader
    Gereshk when they were ambushed and killed by a Special Boat Service team inserted nearby via helicopter.[1]
  • February 26: a Danish Leopard 2 was hit by an explosive device, damaging one track. No one was injured and the tank returned to camp on its own for repairs.[2]

March

  • The
    House Oversight Committee announced plans to hold a hearing into the matter on April 17, 2008,[3] at which the 22-year-old international arms dealer Efraim Diveroli and president of AEY Inc would face a congressional inquiry.[4][5] The committee reported in June 2008.[6]

April

May

June

  • June 10: Gora Prai airstrike in Pakistan kills 11 Pakistani paramilitary troops.
  • June 13:
    Sarposa Prison attack
    . Taliban attack the Sarposa Prison, freeing up to 1,000 prisoners.
  • June 27: a NATO Apache helicopter killed Mullah Sadiqullah; a key Taliban planner, facilitator and bomb-maker in Helmand Province.[12][13]

July

August

  • August 19: The Taliban kill 10 French soldiers in the
    Uzbin valley ambush
    .
  • August 22: The Azizabad airstrike kills between 78 and 92 civilians mostly in Herat province during a US-led attack on the village of Azizabad.
  • August 27: Operation Eagle's Summit begins in Helmand Province.

September

  • September:
    United States-Pakistan skirmishes
    .
  • September 3:
    Angoor Ada raid
    by US special forces into Pakistan.

October

What made the Afghan campaign a landmark in the U.S. Military's history is that it was prosecuted by Special Operations forces from all the services, along with Navy and Air Force tactical power, operations by the Afghan Northern Alliance and the CIA were equally important and fully integrated. No large Army or Marine force was employed.[18]

December

  • December 11: start of Operation Red Dagger
  • December 19: US vows to send 3,000 more troops to Afghanistan.
  • On December 30, 2008, Pakistani security forces shut down the supply line when they launched an offensive against Taliban militants who dominate the Khyber Pass region.[21] After three days of fighting, they declared the Khyber Pass open.[22]

Deaths

References

  1. ^ "Mullah Abdul Matin". The Scotsman. February 22, 2008. Retrieved March 16, 2010.
  2. ^ Lohse, Eckart (March 16, 2008). "Leopardenjagd am Hindukusch" (in German). Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung. p. 6. Archived from the original on July 4, 2008. Retrieved July 31, 2008.
  3. House Oversight Committee. Archived from the original
    on December 2, 2009. Retrieved December 14, 2009.
  4. ^ U.S. suspends supplier of arms to Afghanistan, CNN, March 27, 2008
  5. ^ Arms dealer's dad wanted 'nice' doctor son, CNN, March 28, 2008
  6. Archive.org
    )
  7. ^ Afghanistan Applies for CIS Membership Archived January 30, 2016, at the Wayback Machine - Turkish Weekly, 7 April 2015
  8. RBC News
  9. ^ Nick Meo (April 27, 2008). "Hamid Karzai escapes as Taleban target military parade – Times Online". The Times. London. Retrieved October 2, 2008.
  10. ^ "Marines launch assault in Afghanistan". Retrieved December 20, 2009.
  11. ^ Telemark Battalion in new combat with Taliban Archived June 1, 2008, at the Wayback Machine, Aftenposten, May 27, 2008
  12. ^ "Key Taliban Leaders in Afghanistan Eliminated". ABC News. July 24, 2008.
  13. ^ "Afghanistan: Special forces kill Taliban leader in 'critical blow' to insurgency". the guardian. July 17, 2008.
  14. ^ "Status over fredagens begivenheder – Afghanistan: Alle danske soldater er nu tilbage i deres respektive lejre i Helmand provinsen" (in Danish). Royal Danish Army. July 25, 2008. Archived from the original on October 17, 2009. Retrieved July 31, 2008.
  15. ^ "Key Taliban Leaders in Afghanistan Eliminated". ABC News. July 24, 2008.
  16. ^ "Afghanistan: Special forces kill Taliban leader in 'critical blow' to insurgency". the guardian. July 17, 2008.
  17. ^ "Key Taliban Leaders in Afghanistan Eliminated". ABC News. July 24, 2008.
  18. ^ Washington Post Editorial, John Lehman former Secretary of the Navy, October 2008
  19. ^ Miami Herald: International. 'Afghan war could get worse, top U.S. commander warns' [1] Retrieved on 2008-10-03[dead link]
  20. ^ Ahmad, Munir (October 1, 2008). "Suspected US missile strike kills 6 in Pakistan". The Guardian. London. Retrieved March 26, 2009.[dead link]
  21. ^ Move against Taliban shuts US supply line, NYT, December 30, 2008
  22. ^ Pakistan Reopens Supply Route, NYT, AP wire story, January 2, 2009[dead link]
  23. ^ "BBC Afghan reporter is shot dead". BBC News. June 8, 2008. Retrieved November 22, 2018.
  24. ^ "A Bomb Blast Kills an Afghan Governor and 3 Others". The New York Times. September 13, 2008. Retrieved October 17, 2018.
  25. ^ Sengupta, Kim (September 29, 2008). "Taliban murders Afghanistan's top policewoman". The Independent. Archived from the original on December 5, 2008. Retrieved October 17, 2018.