Operation Anaconda

Operation Anaconda
Part of the War in Afghanistan
U.S. soldiers from the 10th Mountain Division (Light Infantry) prepare to dig into fighting positions during Operation Anaconda in March 2002.
Date March 2–18, 2002 Location Shah-i-Kot Valley, Paktia Province, Afghanistan 33°22′N 69°11′E / 33.367°N 69.183°E / 33.367; 69.183 Result Coalition victory
Belligerents
Coalition:  United States  Australia Afghanistan  United Kingdom  Canada[1]  Germany  France  Norway  Netherlands[2]  Denmark  New Zealand	Taliban al-Qaeda Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan[3]
Commanders and leaders
Franklin L. Hagenbeck Frank Wiercinski Rowan Tink Zia Lodin	Saif-ur-Rehman Mansoor Tohir Yo'ldosh[3]
Strength
30,000 troops	1,000 insurgents
Casualties and losses
7 killed[4] 8 killed (7 in the Battle of Takur Ghar)[5] 82 wounded 2 MH-47 Chinook lost in the Battle of Takur Ghar	500+ killed United States claimed: 800 killed[6][7]

Operation Anaconda or the Battle of Shah-i-Kot was a military operation that took place in early March 2002 as part of the War in Afghanistan. CIA paramilitary officers, working with their allies, attempted to destroy al-Qaeda and Taliban forces. The operation took place in the Shah-i-Kot Valley and Arma Mountains southeast of Zormat. This operation was the first large-scale battle in the post-2001 War in Afghanistan since the Battle of Tora Bora in December 2001. This was the first operation in the Afghanistan theater to involve a large number of U.S. forces participating in direct combat activities.

Between March 2 and March 18, 2002, 1,700 airlifted U.S. troops and 1,000 pro-government Afghan militia battled between 300 and 1,000 al-Qaeda and Taliban fighters to obtain control of the valley. The Taliban and al-Qaeda forces fired mortars and heavy machine guns from entrenched positions in the caves and ridges of the mountainous terrain at U.S. forces attempting to secure the area. Afghan Taliban commander Maulavi Saif-ur-Rehman Mansoor later led Taliban reinforcements to join the battle. U.S. forces had estimated the strength of the rebels in the Shah-i-Kot Valley at 200 to 250, but later information suggested the actual strength was of 500 to 1,000 fighters.