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Troops Taking Fight to Al Qaeda in Eastern Afghanistan
Monday, March 4, 2002
By Jim Garamone
American Forces Press Service

Franks would put no date on when the operation would end. He did say other operations like this would be needed as other pockets of Al Qaeda and Taliban are found.

WASHINGTON -- AFIS
Between 800 and 900 U.S. servicemen are taking the war to the Al Qaeda and Taliban in the Shahi Khot region of Afghanistan, said Army Gen. Tommy Franks, commander of U.S. Central Command.

Franks, speaking in a Tampa, Fla., video teleconference with local and Washington news reporters, said soldiers of the 10th Mountain Division of Fort Drum. N.Y., and the 101st Airborne (Air Mobile) Division of Fort Campbell, Ky., and Special Forces soldiers are taking part in Operation Anaconda. He said U.S. forces are joined by a like number of Afghan fighters and about 200 special operations troops from Australia, Canada, Denmark, Germany, France and Norway. Army Maj. Gen. Franklin Hagenbeck of the 10th Mountain commands.

Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld said during an earlier press briefing that nine Americans have died in the action so far, but Franks was less certain. He said the death toll may be eight or nine and that "some of the fog of war" would have to dissipate before officials know the toll for sure.

The U.S. casualties came early in the operation. First, a rocket-propelled grenade hit a U.S. MH-47 Chinook helicopter as it approached a landing zone. The pilot lost control and, officials said, it appears a soldier fell from the aircraft. The MH-47 flew to another LZ and determined the soldier was missing.
(More: DoD News Source)
2002 © The United States Department of Defense.

Dan