2001 Sayyd Alma Kalay airstrike

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Sayyd Alma Kalay airstrike
Part of the War in Afghanistan (2001–present)
Usaf.Boeing B-52.jpg
Typeairstrike
Location
Sayyd Alma Kalay, near the Arghandab River, Oruzgan Province, Afghanistan
Target United States (friendly fire)
DateDecember 5, 2001 (2001-12-05)
Executed byUnited States
Casualties3 Americans and 10 Afghans killed
40 injured

The Sayyd Alma Kalayy airstrike was a major friendly fire incident via airstrike during the Invasion of Afghanistan. It happened on December 5, 2001 when a U.S. soldier responsible for calling in airstrikes accidentally misguided the Boeing B-52 bomber to strike a hill held by American Special Forces and dozens of their Afghan allies.

Contents

Events

Two days earlier, U.S. Army Special Forces then-Captain Jason Amerine (leading Operational Detachment Alpha 574) and Afghan tribal leader Hamid Karzai had been fighting in the towns of Tarinkot [1] and Shawali Kowt [2] before advancing towards the village of Sayyd Alma Kalay. The Taliban withdrew from the town, and Amerine and Karzai entered the town. After both talked in the headquarters, Amerine left to discuss further airstrikes with another officer. While studying a map, a huge explosion hit the hill near them, apparently from one of their own bombs. Amerine was wounded, while many on the hill were killed or also wounded. A military investigation revealed that the U.S. Air Force Combat Controller from the headquarters in Sayyd Alma Kalay who arrived earlier in the day made a mistake: due to a technical error with his issued GPS receiver, he did not realize that he had mistakenly given his own coordinates for an airstrike to the Boeing B-52 Stratofortress that ultimately dropped a 2,000 lb JDAM bomb on the hill, where several Americans and Afghans were located. [3]

Casualties

Three of Amerine's friends died:

10 Afghans died as well. Forty Afghans and Americans, including Amerine, were wounded. The wounded were taken to Ramstein Air Base in Germany for treatment.

Related Research Articles

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The following lists events that happened in 2013 in Afghanistan.

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Events in the year 2017 in Afghanistan.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2014 Gaza Valley airstrike</span> 2014 friendly fire incident by US bomber

The 2014 Gaza Valley airstrike was a friendly fire incident that took place in Zabul Province, Afghanistan on 9 June 2014 when five U.S. troops and one Afghan interpreter were killed when a B-1B Lancer bomber inadvertently dropped laser-guided bombs on their position during a firefight with Taliban forces. U.S. and Afghan government forces were in the Gaza Valley area of Arghandab District conducting security operations in advance of the 2014 Afghan presidential elections when they came under attack from Taliban militants, sparking a firefight. An American air controller on the ground requested close air support from a B-1B bomber flying in the vicinity to support a team of soldiers maneuvering on a ridge. The U.S. aircraft dropped two guided bombs on the position, killing the team of Americans and an Afghan soldier.

References