"of one of the most senior US officers in Afghanistan when he was killed. He was working in Musa Qal'eh, Helmand province with private security company New Century, when he exchanged fire with two escaped Taliban prisoners who were taking aim with a grenade launcher at a US special forces helicopter leaving a base. The 50-year-old Co Londonderry father of four was shot dead and two US Marines were subsequently killed in the fight. But the MV-22B Osprey aircraft, which can operate as both a helicopter and a turbo-prop aeroplane, escaped. It later emerged that vice admiral Robert Harward, a"
"Operation Hammer (Afghanistan) Operation Hammer was a British-led NATO operation in the southern Helmand province of Afghanistan. The Task Force level offensive, codenamed 'Chakush' or 'Hammer', began in the early hours of July 24, 2007 in the area between Heyderabad and Mirmandab, north-east of Gereshk. The operation continued the momentum towards expelling Taliban forces from areas of the Upper Gereshk Valley in Helmand province. A total of 1,500 ISAF and 500 ANSF personnel took part in the operation. Most of the 1,500 NATO forces were British, mainly drawn from The Light Dragoons, The First Battalion Grenadier Guards - who were"
"Siege of Sangin The Siege of Sangin was a military engagement which occurred between June 2006 and April 2007, between Taliban insurgents and the British Army. In the engagement the district centre of Sangin District in Helmand Province, Afghanistan, was occupied by the British forces and was completely surrounded by the Taliban fighters. At one point fighting became intensive, causing General David J. Richards, the NATO commander in Afghanistan, to declare that Helmand province had seen the fiercest fighting involving British troops since the Korean War. It became emblematic of the difficulty of the mission being carried out by British"
"would be the core of the force in Helmand Province. British bases were located in the districts of Sangin, Lashkar Gah and Gereshk. British forces were replaced in Sangin by elements of the United States Marine Corps I Marine Expeditionary Force Forward. As of Summer 2006, Helmand was one of the provinces involved in Operation Mountain Thrust, a combined NATO-Afghan mission targeted at Taliban fighters in the south of the country. In July 2006, this offensive mission essentially stalled in Helmand as NATO, primarily British, and Afghan troops were forced to take increasingly defensive positions under heavy insurgent pressure. In"
"Coalition combat operations in Afghanistan in 2007 US and NATO International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) operations, alongside Afghan National Army forces, continued against the Taliban through 2007. In January and February 2007, British Royal Marines mounted Operation Volcano to clear insurgents from firing points in the village of Barikju, north of Kajaki. This was followed by Operation Achilles, a major sweeping offensive that started in March and ended in late May. The UK ministry of defence announced its intention to bring British troop levels in the country up to 7,700 (committed until 2009). Further operations, such as Operation Silver and"
"district compound has still come under attack, but the British have built two new forward operating bases a few miles away that draw most of the Taliban attacks away from the town. Operation Silver (2007) Operation Silver was the name of a British led operation against Taliban forces in Helmand province in Afghanistan in 2007. On April 5, 2007, coalition forces launched Operation Silver, as part of the wider Operation Achilles, with some 1,000 troops. After giving advance warning of their offensive, they advanced into Sangin, which had been mostly abandoned by the insurgents. The new governor of Helmand Assadullah"
"Operation Achilles Operation Achilles was a NATO operation, part of the war in Afghanistan. Its objective was to clear Helmand province of the Taliban. The operation began on March 6, 2007. The offensive is the largest NATO-based operation in Afghanistan to date. NATO officials reported that, contrary to previous operations, Taliban fighters were avoiding direct confrontation in favor of guerilla tactics. It was led by British ISAF forces and focused on the Kajakai Dam and the towns in the area, which is a major power source for Afghanistan that had not been functioning for a number of years. One part"
"clearing and searching compounds, before military engineers from 26 Engineer Regiment established a joint forward operating base. By early November operations ended with Coalition troops establishing a firm frontline south of the Helmand river and were preparing for an attack towards Musa Qalah, which had been under Taliban control for eight months. Operation Hammer (Afghanistan) Operation Hammer was a British-led NATO operation in the southern Helmand province of Afghanistan. The Task Force level offensive, codenamed 'Chakush' or 'Hammer', began in the early hours of July 24, 2007 in the area between Heyderabad and Mirmandab, north-east of Gereshk. The operation continued"
"Operation Silver (2007) Operation Silver was the name of a British led operation against Taliban forces in Helmand province in Afghanistan in 2007. On April 5, 2007, coalition forces launched Operation Silver, as part of the wider Operation Achilles, with some 1,000 troops. After giving advance warning of their offensive, they advanced into Sangin, which had been mostly abandoned by the insurgents. The new governor of Helmand Assadullah Wafa, was able to install a new district governor, and ISAF claimed to have pacified the town. The Taliban claim to still control neighbouring areas. Since the end of the siege, the"
"provinces. The 218th BCT deployed to Afghanistan to train the Afghan National Security Forces, beginning in early 2007. The 218th was relieved by the 48th Infantry Brigade Combat Team of the Georgia National Guard. Air assets from the US Air Force and US Navy supported US, Afghan and coalition ground forces. Coalition combat operations in Afghanistan in 2007 US and NATO International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) operations, alongside Afghan National Army forces, continued against the Taliban through 2007. In January and February 2007, British Royal Marines mounted Operation Volcano to clear insurgents from firing points in the village of Barikju,"
"in the fighting as a mix of Taliban fighters and warring tribal groups who are heavily involved in the province's lucrative opium trade. Given the amount of drugs produced in the area, it is likely that foreign drug traffickers are also involved. Fighting continued throughout the winter, with British and allied troops taking a more pro-active stance against the Taliban insurgents. Several operations were launched including the more recent ""Operation Silicone"" at the start of spring. In May 2007, Mullah Dadullah, one of the Taliban's top commanders, along with 11 of his men were killed by NATO-led Afghan forces in"
"the Also specialforces from the and also 8,530 British forces operate under 'Operation Herrick'. Operation Herrick VII (October 2007-April 2008) Operation Herrick VIII (April–October 2008) Operation Herrick IX (October 2008-April 2009) The air component of British forces assigned to Operation Herrick is based at Kandahar and comes under the overall command of 904 Expeditionary Air Wing. The United States had 32,500 military personnel (of which 23,550 were with ISAF) in Afghanistan in 2008. Coalition combat operations in Afghanistan in 2008 There are two ""coalitions"" operating in Afghanistan, one of which has a strict basis in international law. The ""US-led coalition"","
"Telemark Bataljon, and one intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance squadron from the Etterretningsbataljonen, all serving with ISAF forces in Kabul. A company from 2nd Battalion/Brig. N and Kystjegerkommandoen special forces were involved in Operation Harekate Yolo. Also specialforces from the 2000 as of 13 September 2009, most of whom operate in the south-eastern provinces of Ghazni and Paktika. An unknown number of Polish special forces GROM are deployed in the flashpoint southern province of Kandahar. ""See Operation Herrick order of battle""<br> There were more than 6,000 British armed forces personnel deployed in Afghanistan in 2007. Most of the force was deployed"
"Though Taliban groups still operated in surrounding areas, the Afghan civil authorities were able to return, marking the end of the siege. The governor of Helmand province appointed a new local governor, and a permanent ANA base was established in the town. Siege of Sangin The Siege of Sangin was a military engagement which occurred between June 2006 and April 2007, between Taliban insurgents and the British Army. In the engagement the district centre of Sangin District in Helmand Province, Afghanistan, was occupied by the British forces and was completely surrounded by the Taliban fighters. At one point fighting became"
"to reinforce the British presence. In the spring of 2009, 11,000 additional Marines poured into the province, the first wave of President Obama's 21,000 troop surge into Afghanistan. On June 19, 2009, the British Army (with ISAF and ANA forces) launched Operation Panther's Claw and on July 2, 2009, US Marines launched Operation Khanjar, both major offensives into the province in hopes of securing the region before the Afghanistan presidential elections and turning the tide of the insurgency there. In 2006, a revitalised Taliban conducted a number of large-scale military offensives against coalition troops in Helmand, Kandahar and other provinces"
"Battle of Chora The Battle of Chora took place in and around the town of Chora (3,000 inhabitants), in Afghanistan's Orūzgān Province, during June 15–19, 2007. The fighting was between ISAF and Afghan forces on one side and Taliban forces on the other, for the control of the Chora District centre, regarded by the Taliban as a tactical target because it provides ground access from unsecured Gizab district in the north to the provincial capital of Tarin Kowt. According to some press reports, the fighting was the largest Taliban offensive of 2007 in Afghanistan, and resulted in the death of"
"Helmand province campaign The Helmand province campaign was a series of military operations conducted by the International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) forces against Taliban insurgents in the Helmand Province of Afghanistan. Their objective was to control a province that was known to be a Taliban stronghold, and a center of opium production.<ref name=""Gall/Wafa-NYT""></ref> The deployment of international, mostly British, forces was part of the stage three expansion of the ISAF mandate, to cover the southern regions of Afghanistan. Until then Helmand province had seen only a limited coalition presence. In the spring of 2008, a battalion of U.S. Marines arrived"
"(later reinforced by Royal Marines) formed the core of the force in Southern Afghanistan, along with troops and helicopters from Australia, Canada and the Netherlands. The initial force consisted of roughly 3,300 British, 2,500 Canadians, 1,963 from the Netherlands, 280 from Denmark, 240 from Australia, and 150 from Estonia. Air support was provided by US, British, Dutch, Norwegian and French combat aircraft and helicopters. In 2006, southern Afghanistan has faced the deadliest spate in violence in the country since the ousting of the Taliban regime by U.S.-led forces in 2001, as the newly deployed NATO troops battled resurgent militants. Operation"
"response, British troop levels in the province were increased, and new encampments were established in Sangin and Gereshk. Fighting has been particularly heavy in the districts of Sangin, Naway, Nawzad and Garmsir. There were reports that the Taliban saw Helmand province as a key testing area for their ability to take and hold Afghan territory from NATO-led Afghan National Security Forces. Commanders on the ground have described the situation as the most brutal conflict the British Army has been involved in since the Korean War. In Autumn 2006, British troops started to reach ""cessation of hostilities"" agreements with local Taliban"
"their harassment attacks throughout July and the first half of August. In February 2007, British marines from 42 commando conducted Operation Volcano, clearing a safe zone around the dam and driving the Taliban out of mortar range. The main Taliban fortified position in the village of Barikju was cleared without casualties. Since then, the situation around the dam has stabilised. Kajaki is one of the rare occasions during the Afghanistan war where both sides use fixed positions, and an actual front line has developed. In April 2007, the number of British troops in southern Afghanistan was increased from 3,300 to"
"NATO and ANA troops had left, and that the security situation has not improved at all. Operation Pickaxe-Handle Operation Lastay Kulang or Pickaxe Handle was a British-led NATO offensive in the southern Helmand province of Afghanistan. (The name of the operation is Pashto for ""pickaxe-handle"".) Lastay Kulang began on May 30 and ended on June 14, 2007, with 2000 ISAF and Afghan National Army troops taking part. The mission was a direct follow-up of Operation Achilles that ended on the same day. At around 4:00 local time on May 30, 2007, ISAF and ANSF personnel advanced towards the village of"
"2007 Helmand Province airstrikes The 2007 Helmand province airstrikes were a set of airstrikes conducted by NATO and resulted in death of at least 45 Afghan civilians. The death count in southern Helmand province was the highest since 2001, when US-led forces used heavy bombing in their campaign to drive the Taliban from power. The War in Afghanistan began on October 7, 2001, in response to the September 11, 2001 attacks on the United States. This marked the beginning of the U.S. War on Terrorism. The stated purpose of the invasion was to capture Osama bin Laden, destroy Al-Qaeda, and"
"since that time the Brigade has returned to once again focus on more Regional tasks including being a Regional Training Centre and involvement in the Edinburgh Tattoo. The headquarters of 52 Infantry Brigade was located at Edinburgh's Redford Barracks, with some administrative functions located in the New Barrack Block at Edinburgh Castle. In July 2007, it was announced that 52 Infantry Brigade, under the command of Brigadier Andrew Mackay would provide the command element for the UK Task Force on Operation Herrick VII in Afghanistan. They served in Afghanistan between 7 September and 8 March, and were relieved in spring"
"more fanatical and violent, and they often bring skills such as the ability to post more sophisticated videos on the Internet or bombmaking expertise. In late October 2007, Regional Command North along with Afghan National Army and Afghan National Security Forces launched its first major operation against hostile forces in the northern provinces. It was composed of about 2000 coalition troops from Afghanistan, Norway, Germany, Italy, Spain and Hungary and its purpose was to oust Taliban militants from several locations in the Ghowrmach district, Faryab Province, and Faizabad, Badakhshan Province, wherefrom they had operated and caused a number of ANA"
"On 13 January 2007, a 200-strong British force, led by Royal Marines, launched an operation to attack Jugroom Fort, a major Taliban base in southern Helmand Province. After several hours of intense fighting, the Marines regrouped and it was discovered that Lance Corporal Mathew Ford of 45 Commando Royal Marines was missing. A rescue mission was launched using four volunteers, Royal Marines and a Royal Engineer, strapped to the stub-wings of two Apaches. The helicopters could not travel above 50 mph to ensure the safety of the extra passengers from rotor downwash. The Apaches landed under fire inside the compound,"
"in Afghanistan). Since initial deployments supporting OEF, British forces have taken part in the ISAF mission, whilst British special forces have worked with both OEF and ISAF. In January 2006, Defence Secretary John Reid announced the UK would send a PRT with several thousand personnel to Helmand for at least three years. This had been planned as part of the gradual expansion of ISAF's area of responsibility from the Kabul region to the rest of Afghanistan. An initial strength of 5,700 personnel in Afghanistan was planned, which would stabilise to around 4,500 for the rest of the deployment. In 2002,"
"in southern Afghanistan. U.S. Military officials stated that Dadullah made use of suicide bombings in the Taliban's fight against American, NATO and Afghan government forces, and embraced the radical ideology of al-Qaeda rejected by many other Taliban leaders. Dadullah was killed by British special forces in Helmand Province in 2007. The Dadullah Front, apparently named in his honor, began operating in Southern Afghanistan, including Kandahar, Helmand, and Uruzgan Provinces, under the leadership of Dadullah's younger brother, Mansoor Dadullah. The group's level of independence from the Taliban was unclear. U.S. Military and intelligence officials at one stage claimed that the Dadullah"
"half of the force serving in Helmand Province—would be withdrawn during 2013 with numbers to fall to approximately 5,200. The UK ceased all combat operations in Afghanistan and withdrew the last of its combat troops on 27 October 2014. Between 2001 and 24 July 2015 a total of 454 British military personnel have died on operations in Afghanistan. Total aircraft: 6 Operation Toral Operation Toral is the codename for British presence within Afghanistan post 2014 as part of NATO's Resolute Support Mission. It is expected that around 500 troops will be in-country for the training of Afghan National Army personnel."
"the documentary Ross Kemp in Afghanistan aired 2008. Operation Volcano Operation Volcano was a British operation to clear a village that the Taliban were using as a command and control node, consisting of 25 compounds, near the Kajaki hydroelectric dam in February 2007. The British troops came from Troops from 42 Commando, Royal Marines and 59 Commando, Royal Engineers. During the operation, the marines received fire from Taliban forces further in the compounds and from the village of Chinah. This threat was neutralized by air assets and Royal Marine's mortars. Operation Volcano was part of the March–May 2007 Operation Achilles."
"States established bases in the province. The various soldiers of International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) are also housed in the bases. The main base is at Kandahar International Airport. Their main objective is to train the Afghan National Security Forces (ANSF) as well as build government institutions and assist the local population. In spring 2010, the province as well as its capital city became a target of American operations following ""Operation Moshtarak"" in neighbouring Helmand province. Kandahar has been the site of much of the violence in the War on Terror in Afghanistan. Gul Agha Sherzai was Governor of the"
"Anglian Regiment during the unit's 2007 operational tour in Helmand Province, Afghanistan. The memorial is inscribed with the names of 78 soldiers killed since 1958 (when the first of the three East Anglian regiments was formed) in conflicts including Afghanistan, Iraq, Northern Ireland and Aden. The dedication was attended by more than 5000 people. In addition to the exhibition buildings, Duxford's 'North Side', the area of the site north of the A505 road, provides storage for the Imperial War Museum's collecting departments. The stored collections include the film collection, with potentially hazardous nitrate film kept in purpose-built vaults at nearby"
"during that deployment. The battalion deployed in support of OIF for the second time from July 2005 to January 2006. They operated in the Al-Anbar Province and suffered 13 Marines killed in action. The battalion was again deployed to Al-Anbar from January to August 2007. During this third Iraq deployment, 2/7 suffered 8 Marines killed in action. Marines from the battalion took part in Operation Vigilant Resolve< and Operation Alljah. 2/7 returned to Iraq in support of Operation Inherent Resolve in April 2016 and again in October 2017 2/7 deployed to Helmand and Farah Provinces, Afghanistan from April to December"
"Operation Hoover Operation Hoover was a 2007 Canadian-led offensive in the War in Afghanistan against the Taliban in the Kandahar Province district of Zhari. The aims of the operation were to root out as many as 300 suspected Afghan insurgents who had moved into the villages of the Zhari District. Operation Hoover was initially an H Company/A Squadron Combat Team operation, but grew to a 2nd Battalion Royal Canadian Regiment Battle Group operation for the final phase in Nalgham, Zhari. Operation Hoover was part of the overarching Operation Baaz Tsuka. During the first morning of the operation, Leopard tanks from"