Coalition combat operations in Afghanistan in 2006

From January 2006, a NATO International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) force started to replace U.S. troops in southern Afghanistan as part of Operation Enduring Freedom.[2] The British 16th Air Assault Brigade (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,[3] 2,500 Canadians,[4] 1,963 from the Netherlands,[5] 280 from Denmark,[6] 240 from Australia,[7] and 150 from Estonia.[8] 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 Mountain Thrust was launched on May 17, 2006 with the purpose of rooting out Taliban forces.[9] Canadians were one of the leading combatants and the first fighting took place during the Battle of Panjwaii. Complex mud-walled compounds meant that the fighting in the rural Panjwaii district was similar to urban fighting in some places. Daily firefights, artillery bombardments, and coalition airstrikes turned the tide of the battle in favour of the Canadians. On July 3, 2006, it was reported that British Army leaders had warned Prime Minister Tony Blair that victory was not certain in Afghanistan, and were calling for more reinforcements.[10] More than 1,100 Taliban fighters were killed and almost 400 captured in the month-and-a-half long operation.

In July 2006, command of the international forces in southern Afghanistan was passed to NATO forces under British General David J. Richards. Regional command in the south was led by Canadian General David Fraser. In November 2006, Dutch Major-General Ton van Loon took over NATO Regional Command South in Afghanistan for a six-month period from the Canadians.[11]

Canadian Forces, which came under NATO command at the end of July, launched Operation Medusa in an attempt to clear the areas of Taliban fighters once and for all. The fighting during Operation Medusa led the way to the second, and most fierce, Battle of Panjwaii during which the Canadians experienced daily gun-battles, ambushes, and mortar/rocket attacks. The Taliban had massed with an estimated 1,500 to 2,000 fighters and they were reluctant to give up the area. After being surrounded by the Canadian Forces, they dug in and fought a more conventional style battle. After weeks of fighting, the Taliban had been cleared from the Panjwaii area and Canadian reconstruction efforts in the area began. NATO reported it had killed more than 500 suspected Taliban fighters.[12] During Operation Medusa, the Canadians were supported by US, British, Dutch and Danish forces. The PzH 2000 howitzer made its combat debut with the Dutch Army as artillery fire support.[13]

A major NATO offensive called Operation Mountain Fury was launched in September 2006 to clear Taliban rebels from the eastern provinces of Afghanistan. The fighting was intense with a number of coalition casualties and heavy Taliban loses.

Along with the Canadians and Dutch, the British were a major contributor to the expanded NATO mission in southern Afghanistan in 2006. Having initially been deployed as part of Operation Veritas in 2001, British forces had played a supporting role to the Americans, but in 2006 the size of Britain's deployed forces was expanded as part of Operation Herrick. Throughout the year, around 5,000 British Armed Forces personnel deployed to Afghanistan, mainly in Helmand Province. They subsequently saw heavy fighting, particularly in the Sangin District.

NATO forces began reconstruction efforts after the major combat operations of Operation Medusa had ceased. But the British and Canadians still encountered fierce fighting. The Canadian involvement in Operation Mountain Fury was stepped up when they mounted an operation of their own called Operation Falcon's Summit on December 15, 2006. During Falcon Summit, the Canadians gained control of several key villages and towns that were former Taliban havens, such as Howz-E Madad. During the first week of the operation, massive Canadian artillery and tank barrages were carried out in a successful attempt to clear pockets of Taliban resistance.

An analysis of the coalition casualty figures from May 1 to August 12, 2006 by Sheila Bird, vice-president of the UK's Royal Statistical Society, revealed that during the period, an average of five coalition soldiers were killed every week by the Taliban, twice the death rate suffered during the 2003 invasion of Iraq.[14]

The fighting for NATO forces was intense throughout the second half of 2006. NATO achieved several tactical victories over the Taliban and denied a number of areas to them, but the Taliban were not completely defeated and NATO operations continued into 2007.

A British Chinook helicopter over Afghanistan

Reflecting the increased pace of operations, Royal Air Force (RAF) Harrier GR7A close air support aircraft saw a large increase in munitions (CRV7 rockets and laser-guided bombs) used supporting ground forces since July 2006. Between July and September, the theatre total for munitions deployed by British Harriers on planned operations and Close Air Support to ground forces rose from 179 to 539.[15]

As well as the RAF and US aircraft, air support was also provided by Dutch and Norwegian F-16s [16][17] and French Dassault Mirage 2000D ground attack aircraft. AH-64 Apache attack helicopters from the Netherlands, the UK and the USA supported NATO and Afghan National Army troops.

Transport helicopters were vital for coalition success to support isolated units and avoid roadside improvised explosive devices as well as to conduct medical evacuations. Various countries provided such platforms, including the Netherlands, Canada, the UK and the USA. C-130 transport aircraft also provided theatre transport.

On September 2, 14 UK personnel were killed when an RAF Nimrod MR2 crashed; initial reports were that mechanical failure was responsible.[18]

American, British, Danish, Portuguese and Romanian airfield protection troops guarded the key NATO facility of Kandahar Airfield, which had come under Taliban rocket attacks.

The increased intensity of operations resulted in an increase in coalition casualties. Canadian forces lost 38 in operations in Afghanistan in 2006. In the same period, 24 British soldiers and marines were killed on the ground while one marine, one soldier and 12 airmen were killed when a Royal Air Force Nimrod crashed during a reconnaissance flight over Afghanistan on September 2, 2006. US military personnel have also been killed in support of NATO operations, 17 in 2006, as well as two Italians and one Romanian soldier. Operation Mountain Fury saw 71 Afghan National Army soldiers killed. A Dutch F-16 pilot also died in an air-crash.

The number of Taliban members killed in action in 2006 are difficult to verify, but around 2,700 are estimated to have died during Operation Mountain Thrust, Operation Medusa and Operation Mountain Fury.

The increase in fighting in southern Afghanistan also resulted in increased civilian casualties in the region.

Despite the deployment of British and Dutch forces (and smaller forces from smaller European countries such as Denmark and Estonia), the Canadians were reported to have been frustrated at the lack of support from other major European NATO countries.[19] Britain's defence secretary Des Browne shared criticism of those NATO allies for not sharing the burden.[20]

Throughout 2006, Germany had ISAF ground troops in Afghanistan, but in the more secure north and resisted calls to help NATO forces except in the case of emergencies in the south. France also had troops in the more secure north, and deployed special forces and made available close air support aircraft for operations in the south, but also did not deploy significant ground troops to the south. Later during the conflict, though, in August 2008 French troops took on a larger role, and became involved in increased fighting after taking control of the Kabul regional command.[21]

Not all ISAF troops deployed to Afghanistan in 2006 were involved in combat operations. This is a list of NATO and partner nation units involved in PRTs in southern Afghanistan and most heavily engaged in combat operations in 2006.

• Timeline of the War in Afghanistan (2001-present)
• Britain's role in the 2001-present Afghan war
• Canada's role in the invasion of Afghanistan
• Coalition combat operations in Afghanistan in 2007
• Coalition combat operations in Afghanistan in 2008
• Operation Enduring Freedom
• Protests against the invasion of Afghanistan
• Participants in Operation Enduring Freedom
• Provincial reconstruction team
• War in Afghanistan (2001–present)

• Canadian army website (in English)
• NATO in Afghanistan page
• Netherlands Ministry of Defence operations page
• UK Ministry of Defence operations in Afghanistan page
• 'Tacklin' the Taliban', AirForces Monthly, December 2006
• Footage of Dutch commandos in Afghanistan (2006) 1
• Footage of Dutch commandos in Afghanistan (2006) 2