Combat Camera (30 page)

Kapisa, 8.55 a.m.

A joint foot patrol from 1st Kandak 3/201st ANA Corps, 202nd ANP Zone and 1er R
é
giment de Chasseurs Parachutistes (France) comes under small-arms fire in Tagab District. They positively identify the insurgent position and return fire. Forward Operating Base Kutshbach engages the insurgents with eight 120-mm rounds, forcing them to break contact. The attack results in the death of one French soldier
.

Kandahar, 9.12 a.m.

A combined dismounted patrol from 1st Kandak 3/205th ANA Corps and 1st Squadron 32nd US Cavalry Regiment receives small-arms fire in Zharay District. They positively identify the insurgent firing position and return fire with small arms and 60-mm mortar rounds, forcing the insurgents to withdraw. Shortly afterwards, a 12-year-old Afghan civilian with a gunshot wound is brought to Combat Outpost Ahmed Khan and flown to Kandahar hospital, accompanied by his brother. The engagement results in two insurgents being killed (reported by village elders) and one insurgent wounded. The village elders state that they blame the insurgents for this incident and friendly forces have reported the potential use of Afghan civilians as human shields. The incident is under investigation. Friendly forces have initiated consequence management to include releasing a public-address message informing the public of insurgent use of Afghan civilians as human shields
.

Khost, 10.03 a.m.

Afghan security forces at Border Security Point 1 in Terayzai District receive eleven 82-mm mortar rounds of insurgent indirect fire. The Afghan security forces positively identify a point of origin located inside Pakistan and conduct a counter-fire mission with nine 82-mm rounds. They also deploy a foot patrol to block an infiltration route from Pakistan. The patrol strikes an IED, killing three members of the Afghan security forces
.

Wardak, 10.20 a.m.

A patrol from 202nd Afghan National Police Zone is engaged by an unknown number of insurgents with small-arms fire in Jalrayz District, leaving one police officer dead. Five insurgents are detained
.

Logar, 10.30 a.m.

An insurgent with a vehicle-borne IED attempts to enter the Police Headquarters in Azrah District. After being denied entry, he drives to a nearby hospital and then detonates the device. This results in twenty Afghan civilians killed, twenty-three wounded and one insurgent killed. There are no ISAF forces on site. The President of Afghanistan and head of ISAF publicly condemn the attack
.

Nahr-e Saraj, 1.15 p.m.

A vehicle in a mounted patrol from 215th ANA Corps strikes an IED containing around 20 kg of unknown bulk explosive charge in Nahr-e Saraj. The blast kills three ANA soldiers
.

Kunar, 3.03 p.m.

A combined foot patrol from 2/201st ANA Corps and 2nd Battalion 35th US Infantry Regiment comes under small-arms and indirect fire from insurgents in Watahpur District. The patrol positively identifies the insurgents’ position and returns fire. The engagement leaves one US soldier dead, four US soldiers Cat A, one US soldier Cat B, one Afghan soldier dead, one Afghan soldier Cat A, and two insurgents dead
.

Helmand, 5.09 p.m.

While conducting a security operation in Nad-e Ali, 2nd Battalion 8th US Marines come under small-arms fire from insurgents. This results in one Marine Cat A (gunshot wound to right shoulder) and one Marine Cat B (gunshot wounds to the left foot and buttock). The Marines positively identify the insurgent firing position and return fire with small arms and a 40-mm grenade launcher. One round from the grenade launcher possibly lands short, resulting in two Marines Cat A (facial injuries). The wounded are flown back to Bastion in two missions (thirty-three minutes and forty-eight minutes). One of the Marines wounded by the 40-mm grenade goes into cardiac arrest at Bastion and dies. This is an unconfirmed blue-on-blue incident and is under investigation
.

Nahr-e Saraj, 6.44 p.m.

Afghan police on a routine security operation 3.2 km north-east of Main Operating Base Price are caught in the blast from a suspected motorbike IED. It kills one policeman and wounds two others
.

Kunar, 6.48 p.m.

A foot patrol from 2/201st ANA Corps comes under small-arms fire in Shigal Wa Sheltan District. Friendly forces positively identify the insurgents’ position and return fire. Two A-10s from the 74th US Expeditionary Fighter Squadron drop three GBU-38 500-lb bombs on the insurgents’ position. The initial firefight results in the death of one Afghan soldier
.

Kunar, 10.30 p.m.

A US CH-47 (Chinook) crashes in Watahpur District, resulting in three US soldiers Cat A and three US soldiers Cat B. All twenty-four crew and passengers are recovered. The reason for the crash is under investigation, but it was not caused by insurgents
.

Sunday 26th June 2011

Significant acts: 127

Helmand, 4.33 a.m.

A combined dismounted patrol from 2nd Kandak 2/215th ANA Corps and 1st Battalion 5th US Marines strikes an IED in Sangin. The blast results in one US Marine Cat A, one ANA soldier Cat A and one ANA soldier Cat B
.

Helmand, 4.41 a.m.

A dismounted patrol from 1st Battalion 5th US Marines spends the night in a compound in Sangin after it has been swept twice – by engineers and an EOD team. They revert to 50% security for the night and remove their personal protective equipment. At first light, as they prepare to leave, one of the Marines triggers an IED, resulting in two Cat A (1 x double amputation, 1 x blown eardrum with
bleeding from ears). They are flown back to Bastion in forty-seven minutes. No further casualties or damage are reported
.

Paktika, 6.31 a.m.

A mounted patrol from 203rd ANA Corps strikes an IED in Bermal, killing three ANA
.

Khost, 6.40 a.m.

A dismounted patrol from the Afghan security forces receives small-arms fire from an unknown number of insurgents in Tanai District. Border Security Point 4 Observation Post 2 positively identifies a point of origin located inside Pakistan and responds with an unknown number of 14.5-mm rounds, 40-mm grenades and 60-mm and 82-mm mortar rounds, forcing the insurgents to cease fire. Battle Damage Assessment is not conducted. There are no friendly casualties or damage reported. Task Force Duke (US) tries to notify the Pakistan Military Liaison Officer without success. The Khyber Border Coordination Centre is notified
.

Helmand, 7.56 a.m.

A route clearance patrol from 2nd US Combat Engineer Battalion strikes an IED in Nahr-e Saraj. The blast results in one US Marine Cat A
.

Helmand, 8.00 a.m.

A dismounted patrol from 3rd Battalion 4th US Marines receives small-arms fire from up to four insurgents in Nahr-e Saraj, resulting in one Marine Cat A (gunshot wound, lower back). Observation Post 22 positively identifies the insurgents’ firing position and returns fire with small arms and eight 40-mm grenades. Patrol
Base Shark Tooth engages the insurgents with three 60-mm mortar rounds. While conducting the medevac mission, a HH-60 Pave Hawk helicopter receives small-arms fire but suffers no damage or injuries. An AH-1 Cobra attack helicopter fires twenty-one 2.75” rockets and five hundred 20-mm rounds on the insurgent positions, forcing them to cease fire. The wounded Marine is flown to Bastion in forty-eight minutes. Battle damage assessment is not conducted due to the tactical situation. There are no civilian casualties or damage reported
.

Logar, 10.15 a.m.

A combined dismounted patrol from 1st Kandak 4/203rd ANA Corps and 2nd Battalion 30th US Infantry Regiment receives small-arms fire from insurgents in Charkh District. They positively identify the firing position and return fire, forcing the insurgents to break contact. The engagement results in one US soldier Cat A
.

Helmand, 10.26 a.m.

A combined dismounted patrol from 2nd Kandak 2/215th ANA Corps and 1st Battalion 5th US Marines strikes an IED in Sangin District. The blast results in one Marine Cat A (partial double amputation). While securing a landing zone for the helicopter medevac, friendly forces strike another IED. This results in one Marine being killed. While friendly forces are waiting for the medevac helicopter to land, they observe an insurgent in the tree line with an AK-47. The insurgent engages them, and friendly forces return fire with an M249 light machine gun, wounding the insurgent, who takes cover behind a wall. Friendly forces then fire a 40-mm round from an M203 grenade launcher. All firing ceases. No battle damage assessment is conducted due to the tactical situation and
IED threat. An hour later, friendly forces strike a third IED, resulting in one Afghan soldier Cat A (left leg amputation)
.

Kandahar, 11.35 a.m.

A combined dismounted patrol from 1st Kandak 3/205th ANA Corps and 1st Battalion 32nd US Infantry Regiment comes under small-arms fire from two to three insurgents in Zharay District. Friendly forces return fire, forcing them to break contact. The engagement results in one US soldier Cat A
.

Helmand, 11.49 a.m.

A mounted patrol from 3rd Battalion 4th US Marines strikes an IED in Nahr-e Saraj. The blast results in two Marines Cat A (1 x possible spinal injury, 1 x concussion) and one vehicle damaged
.

Badghis, 12.21 p.m.

A mounted patrol from TF Badghis (Spain) strikes an IED in Muqur District. The blast results in two Spanish soldiers being killed, one Spanish soldier Cat A, one Spanish soldier Cat B, one Spanish soldier Cat C and one vehicle damaged
.

Helmand, 1.01 p.m.

A mounted patrol from Combat Logistics Battalion 8 (US) strikes an IED in Washer District. The blast results in two US Marines Cat A and one vehicle damaged
.

Kandahar, 2.07 p.m.

A combined patrol from 2nd Kandak 3/205th ANA Corps and 4th Squadron 4th US Cavalry Regiment is engaged by insurgent small-arms and rocket-propelled grenade fire from multiple positions
at Combat Outpost Haji Rahmuddin in Zharay District. They positively identify the insurgents’ positions and return fire. Two F/A-18Fs from US Carrier Air Wing 14 drop two 500-lb GBU-38 bombs on a building occupied by insurgents, forcing them to cease fire. The insurgent attack results in two ANA soldiers Cat A, and the air strike results in one building being destroyed. There are no civilian casualties reported
.

Helmand, 2.15 p.m.

A mounted patrol from Combat Logistics Battalion 8 (US) strikes an IED in Washer District. The strike results in three US Marines Cat A and one vehicle damaged
.

Ghazni, 5.10 p.m.

Soldiers from 2nd Battalion, 2nd US Infantry Regiment observe two individuals digging an IED into a road in Andar District. They declare them an imminent threat and fire three 120-mm and two 81-mm mortar rounds. Three Afghan civilians with minor shrapnel wounds later come to Forward Operating Base Andar, where they receive treatment. The incident is under investigation
.

Kunar, 5.15 p.m.

A dismounted patrol from 2nd Battalion 35th US Infantry Regiment receives small-arms fire from insurgents in Shigal Wa Sheltan District. The attack results in one US soldier Cat A
.

Helmand, 5.56 p.m.

Afghan police conducting a security operation at Patrol Base Amoo in Sangin receive small-arms fire and a rocket-propelled grenade, resulting in one policeman Cat B (fragmentation wound to right
buttock). They respond with small-arms fire and five 60-mm mortar rounds. The insurgents break contact and leave the scene
.

Helmand, 6.03 p.m.

A dismounted patrol from 42 Commando, Royal Marines strikes an IED on the Nahr-e Saraj/Nad-e Ali border, 500 metres from Check Point Toki. A US serviceman attached to the patrol is killed
.

Helmand, 6.38 p.m.

ANP conducting a static security operation at Check Point Chaabak, 1.9 km north-west of Patrol Base 2 in Nahr-e Saraj, receive small-arms fire from insurgents, resulting in one ANP Cat A (sucking gunshot wound to the chest). Friendly forces observe a local national running south to north with what looks like a body in a wheelbarrow. They open fire but miss him. He hides between compounds and is not seen again
.

Helmand, 6.40 p.m.

A combined dismounted patrol from 215th ANA Corps and 1st Battalion 5th US Marines is engaged by small-arms fire in Sangin. Friendly forces positively identify the firing position and return fire, killing one insurgent. Later a female Afghan civilian with Cat A wounds is taken to Forward Operating Base Sabit Qadam by her brother. She is flown to Bastion in forty-six minutes. Friendly forces speak to family and local elders about the incident and prepare radio messages emphasizing the insurgents’ wilful endangerment of Afghan civilians
.

Khost, 8.00 p.m.

Border Security Point 5 Observation Post 1 in Tanai District observes a suspicious insurgent vehicle at an historic firing position 1.6 km
inside Pakistan. An imminent threat is declared and the vehicle is engaged with three 60-mm mortar rounds. No battle damage assessment is conducted. The Pakistan Military Liaison Officer and Khyber Border Coordination Centre are notified
.

Ghazni, 10.40 p.m.

A mounted patrol from Polish Battle Group Bravo strikes an IED in Qarah Bagh District. The blast results in two Polish soldiers Cat A and one logistics truck damaged
.

APPENDIX 2

Afghanistan Fatality and Casualty Tables

NUMBER OF AFGHANISTAN UK MILITARY AND CIVILIAN FATALITIES

7th October 2001 to 31st December 2013