Operation Bulldog Bite

Operation Bulldog Bite
Part of the War in Afghanistan (2001–present)
Date12 November 2010 - 25 November 2010
LocationKunar province, Afghanistan
Result

American victory

  • Two Taliban camps destroyed.
  • Several weapons caches captured.
Belligerents
 United States
 Afghanistan		 Afghanistan Taliban insurgents
Commanders and leaders
Maj. Gen. John Campbelll Unknown
Units involved
1st Battalion, 327th Infantry Regiment, 101st Airborne Division
1st Battalion, 75th Ranger Regiment
United States Air Force Pararescue
Alaska Air National Guard's 212th Rescue Squadron[1]
Afghan National Army		 Taliban insurgents
Casualties and losses
U.S. casualties
7 killed, 30+ wounded
ANA casualties
3 killed		 52-150 killed

Operation Bulldog Bite was a joint U.S. and Afghan counter-insurgent mission in Kunar province, Afghanistan, against Taliban forces, in November 2010. The operation targeted Taliban havens in the villages of the watahpur Valley, which lies in the eastern region of the Pech River Valley.[2] The region has served as a transit area for Taliban and al Qaeda fighters infiltrating from Pakistan, and is just five miles from the Korengal Valley, an area where US forces shut down combat outposts last winter.[2] In 2009, US commanders claimed that the Korengal was strategically insignificant due to its remote location, but since that time, the Taliban and al Qaeda have used the region to launch attacks into neighboring Afghan provinces.[2]

The operation involved several nighttime air assaults against remote mountain villages in the aim of penetrating deep into the Pech River Valley. The 1st Battalion, 327th Infantry Regiment, 101st Airborne Division and the 1st Battalion, 75th Ranger Regiment are taking part in the operation. The first US soldier was killed during combat on 12 Nov. Two days later, US troops encountered heavy resistance, when five soldiers from Alpha Company, 1st Battalion, 327th Infantry Regiment, 1st Brigade Combat Team, 101st Airborne Division were killed during a six-hour-long firefight in the watahpur area.[2] Only eight soldiers of the platoon involved in the six-hour battle were not wounded. They were divided up among other platoons.[3] U.S. Air Force Pararescue jumpers conducted operations to rescue the wounded and to collect those who were KIA.[1] While their helicopters were hovering above the wounded. The aircraft was taking heavy enemy fire.[1] Apache helicopters came in to assist in the battle firing four AGM-114 Hellfire missiles on nearby insurgents in a tag-team of lethal force. When the Apaches ran out of ammunition, an F-18 came in with a 2,000-pound bomb.[1]

By 25 November, 52-150 insurgents were reported to have been killed and several large weapons caches were discovered by Coalition troops.[3][4][5] The weapons caches contained several mortar systems with rounds, 15 recoilless rifle rounds, more than a dozen rocket-propelled grenades, 20 anti-aircraft rounds, four fragmentary grenades, 400 rounds of AK-47 ammunition, 1,200 PKM rounds and improvised explosive components.[2] Also, six members of the 101st, one Army Ranger and three soldiers of the Afghan National Army (ANA) had been killed.[6]

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 http://www.af.mil/News.com
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 http://www.longwarjournal.org
  3. 1 2 Bill Roggio November 18, 2010 (2010-11-18). "49 Taliban fighters, 6 US troops killed during Kunar operation". The Long War Journal. Retrieved 2012-08-05.
  4. ↑ "Pech River Valley operations continue to target insurgents » Clarksville, TN Online". Clarksvilleonline.com. 2010-11-25. Retrieved 2012-08-05.
  5. ↑ "Bulldogs bite into mountainside - The Fort Campbell Courier: News". The Fort Campbell Courier. 2010-12-02. Retrieved 2012-08-05.
  6. ↑ "NATO details Afghan clash that killed 5 Americans". Fox News. Retrieved 2012-08-05.

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