Operation Falcon Summit
Kandahar province, Afghanistan | |
Result |
NATO victory Taliban retreated out of the area |
---|
United Kingdom
Islamic Republic of Afghanistan
Estonia
Denmark
Omer Lavoie
20 captured [citation needed]
Operation Falcon Summit (Pashto: Baaz Tsuka) was a
Canadian troops had been fighting with Taliban fighters in the area for several months. Although the operation was under British command, the majority of movements and elements on the ground were Canadians operating from forward operating bases set up in the district during the fighting of Operation Mountain Thrust and Operation Medusa.
Information campaign
Early on December 15,
Landmine accident
During the days prior to the operation, Canadian soldiers held several meetings with
The landmine had been planted the night before by two Taliban operatives, who were spotted, shot, and killed by Canadian soldiers. Engineers then came to clear the area of landmines, but they missed the one that Couture set off. The mine attack was the first casualty of the operation.[citation needed]
Preparations for battle
On December 14 in the
Although the Canadian commanders in Afghanistan did not officially announce that the
Back at the Canadian Forward Operating Bases in the
Offensive operations
On December 19, the offensive operations of Falcon Summit began. A massive barrage of Canadian artillery and tank fire rained down on Taliban positions in the area of operations which killed around 60 Taliban. The artillery barrage lasted for 45 minutes and was supported by heavy machine gun fire from Canadian .50-calibre guns.
Shortly after the barrage ended, Canadian armoured convoys left the "protection" of being behind the wire and headed out into the
Over the next few days, NATO forces secured several more objective towns with very little resistance from Taliban fighters. Canadian Leopard C2 tanks were requested for support by the head of the
Near the village of Howz-e Madad was a 10-square-kilometre area full of mud-walled fortresses and 900 surrounded Taliban fighters. Canadian infantry and armour surrounded the area, which was ideal for the Taliban's style of attacks. The complex build of the area the fighters were held up in made it nearly impossible to escape from, and to the east of the complex was a road built by the Canadians after Operation Medusa, which ran along the Arghandab River, which made it impossible for any Taliban to escape using the road. Ten kilometres to the south of Howz-e Madad was a line of American soldiers, and to the west were more British soldiers making this a truly combined effort by the three nations to protect the Afghan people living nearby and bring down the Taliban.[citation needed]
After 48 hours passed, the Taliban fired. Two rockets flew past C Company just south of Howz-e Madad. This was responded to by a burst of machine-gun fire from the Afghan National Army, but nobody on either side of the skirmish took any casualties.[citation needed]
After the new year began, on January 5, a 45-minute firefight between about 20 members of the Royal 22e Regiment and a force of Taliban fighters about half the size. Small arms including automatic rifle and machine gun fire,
The next day, Canadian light infantry forces, backed by U.S. helicopter gunships, swept into the mud fortresses and routed out the remaining Taliban, most of whom fled.[citation needed]
References
- ISBN 978-1-85109-948-1.
- CTV.ca Soft approach working in Operation Baaz Tsuka