Operation Anaconda was supposed to be a "mop up" mission in eastern Afghanistan's mountainous region near the city of Gardez to eliminate remaining pockets of Taliban and Al-Qaeda forces hiding out in the area's caves. Friendly Afghans, assisted by U.S. forces, would flush the enemy from the north towards three exits of the Shah-I-Kot valley, where American troops waited. Instead the operation turned ino the largest and bloodiest battle of the war. With four times as many Al-Qaeda as the U.S. expected, there was fierce combat, downed helicopters, American casualties, reinforcements on both sides, then heavy bombing and hundreds of Al-Qaeda dead.
After taking up positions at the designated exit ravines, Heather, Ginger, and Eve, the 10th Mountain Division attacked the villages of Sarkhankhel, Marzak, and Babakul, taking Al-Qaeda by surprise. "The bad guys were drinking tea when we arrived," said the force commander.
At the other battle positions U.S. troops found hundreds of enemy fighters waiting. At altitudes above 8,000 ft, troops fought on rocky, snow patches mountain terrain, and faced subfreezing temperatures at night. Enemy fighters were entrenched and zealous. They were well armed using RPGs, mortars, and heavy machine guns against allied ground troops and aircraft. The 10th Mountain Division found itself in an 18 hour gunfight with the enemy, described as "nose to nose." The operation originally expected to last 72 hours, took more than two weeks.
Al-Qaeda soldiers may have known the terrain better and they may have been able to navigate hidden networks of underground tunnels. But once night fell, American soldiers had at least one advantage: They could see in the dark. This soldier is equipped with the PVS-7B, a high performance night vision goggle for ground operations. It is a state-of-the-art technology and can be used in the darkest of conditions either mounted on the helmet or handheld. It is available for about $3,000. |
