Balamorghab ambush
Encyclopedia
The Balamorghab ambush occurred on November 27, 2008, when a force of Afghan security forces was attacked by Taliban insurgents. The ambush took place near Balamorghab in Badghis Province
, in Northwestern Afghanistan
, and resulted in heavy casualties for the government forces. It was described as "one of the most humiliating attacks the Afghan security forces had ever suffered".
Badghis province has seen a marked increase in insurgent activity, and while in 2007 the number of Taliban militants was estimated at 200, by 2008 it had grown to over 2,000. In March 2008, an Afghan intelligence operation succeeded in arresting Mawlawi
Ghulam Dastagir, one of the principal Taliban commanders in Badghis. However, in September a delegation of elders from Badghis met President Hamid Karzai
, and persuaded him to release Dastagir, claiming that he wasn't an enemy of the state.
On November 26, a supply convoy guarded by 200 men of the Afghan National Army
and the Afghan National Police
left Qala i Naw
, the capital of Badghis province, for Balamorghab. Their objective was to supply a police force in the village, which is considered a Taliban stronghold. On November 27, the convoy was travelling down a narrow gorge near Balamorghab, when it was hit by small-arms and rocket-propelled grenade fire. An oil tanker was set on fire, blocking the road, and the different elements of the convoy became separated. The insurgent attack lasted several hours, ending only after the arrival of Afghan commandos in helicopters. During the engagement, five policemen and nine soldiers were killed, and 20 of the security forces were injured and 20 captured. In addition 19 vehicles were destroyed and five captured by the insurgents. A Spanish military unit was called for help, but Spanish troops, heavily constrained by restrictive rules of engagement, were allowed only to provide cover from distance for the convoy's retreat .
Karzais decision to release Dastagir was criticized, especially as certain officials claimed the elders who secured his release were acting under orders from the Taliban. The command of the ANA 207 Corps was also criticized, as the unit had already suffered losses in other provinces. When interviewed, Mawlawi Ghulam Dastagir enthusiastically confirmed he had led the attack. Over the preceding three years, insurgent forces in Badghis have grown from almost nothing to a strength estimated at several hundred.
On February 16, 2009, Afghan officials claimed that Dastagir and his deputy had been killed in an airstrike in Balamorghab. The Taliban later confirmed his death.
Badghis Province
Bādghīs is one of the thirty-four provinces of Afghanistan. It is located in northwestern Afghanistan, between the Murghab and Hari rivers, extending as far northward as the edge of the desert of Sarakhs. It includes the Chul formations through which the Turkmen-Afghan boundary runs...
, in Northwestern Afghanistan
Afghanistan
Afghanistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan, is a landlocked country located in the centre of Asia, forming South Asia, Central Asia and the Middle East. With a population of about 29 million, it has an area of , making it the 42nd most populous and 41st largest nation in the world...
, and resulted in heavy casualties for the government forces. It was described as "one of the most humiliating attacks the Afghan security forces had ever suffered".
Badghis province has seen a marked increase in insurgent activity, and while in 2007 the number of Taliban militants was estimated at 200, by 2008 it had grown to over 2,000. In March 2008, an Afghan intelligence operation succeeded in arresting Mawlawi
Mawlawi (Islamic title)
Mawlawi is an honorific Islamic religious title given to Sunni Muslim religious scholars or Ulema preceding their names, similar to the titles Maulana, Mullah, or Shaykh. Mawlawi generally means highly-qualified Islamic scholar...
Ghulam Dastagir, one of the principal Taliban commanders in Badghis. However, in September a delegation of elders from Badghis met President Hamid Karzai
Hamid Karzai
Hamid Karzai, GCMG is the 12th and current President of Afghanistan, taking office on 7 December 2004. He became a dominant political figure after the removal of the Taliban regime in late 2001...
, and persuaded him to release Dastagir, claiming that he wasn't an enemy of the state.
On November 26, a supply convoy guarded by 200 men of the Afghan National Army
Afghan National Army
The Afghan National Army is a service branch of the military of Afghanistan, which is currently trained by the coalition forces to ultimately take the role in land-based military operations in Afghanistan. , the Afghan National Army is divided into seven regional Corps. The strength of the Afghan...
and the Afghan National Police
Afghan National Police
The Afghan National Police - ANP - is the primary national police force in Afghanistan. It serves as a single law enforcement agency all across the country. The Afghan police force was first created with the establishment of the Afghan nation in the early 18th century...
left Qala i Naw
Qala i Naw, Afghanistan
Qala i Naw is a town in Qala i Naw District and the capital of Badghis Province, of north-west Afghanistan. Its population is estimated 9,000 in 2006.It has a small airport, Qala i Naw Airport....
, the capital of Badghis province, for Balamorghab. Their objective was to supply a police force in the village, which is considered a Taliban stronghold. On November 27, the convoy was travelling down a narrow gorge near Balamorghab, when it was hit by small-arms and rocket-propelled grenade fire. An oil tanker was set on fire, blocking the road, and the different elements of the convoy became separated. The insurgent attack lasted several hours, ending only after the arrival of Afghan commandos in helicopters. During the engagement, five policemen and nine soldiers were killed, and 20 of the security forces were injured and 20 captured. In addition 19 vehicles were destroyed and five captured by the insurgents. A Spanish military unit was called for help, but Spanish troops, heavily constrained by restrictive rules of engagement, were allowed only to provide cover from distance for the convoy's retreat .
Karzais decision to release Dastagir was criticized, especially as certain officials claimed the elders who secured his release were acting under orders from the Taliban. The command of the ANA 207 Corps was also criticized, as the unit had already suffered losses in other provinces. When interviewed, Mawlawi Ghulam Dastagir enthusiastically confirmed he had led the attack. Over the preceding three years, insurgent forces in Badghis have grown from almost nothing to a strength estimated at several hundred.
On February 16, 2009, Afghan officials claimed that Dastagir and his deputy had been killed in an airstrike in Balamorghab. The Taliban later confirmed his death.