2019 Camp Shorabak attack

Last updated

2019 Camp Shorabak attack
Part of the War in Afghanistan
Location Camp Shorabak, Helmand Province, Afghanistan
Date1 March 2019
Target Bus
Attack type
Shooting
Suicide bombing
Weapons Improvised explosive device
Deaths23
Injured15
Perpetrators Taliban

On the morning of 1 March 2019, Taliban gunmen and suicide bombers attacked Camp Shorabak in Helmand Province, Afghanistan. They killed 23 Afghan soldiers and injured another 15. [1] [2] [3] [4] Twenty insurgents were killed. [1] None of the US Marine advisers stationed at the military base were injured.[ citation needed ]

Contents

The attack

The attack took place in the early hours of the morning.

Taliban fighters stormed the ANDSF [Afghan National Defence and Security Forces] base at Camp Shorabak in Helmand, southern Afghanistan, which is home to the Afghan army's 215th Corps and includes a US garrison of a few hundred Marine advisers. [5] The base was of particular importance to the US military because it had previously hosted thousands of marines deployed to Helmand during the troop surge. [6] During the attack, the Taliban, wearing Afghan military uniforms and using military equipment regularly used by the Afghan army, fooled the soldiers defending the base.

One suicide bomber detonated his explosive device in a canteen. A total of three suicide bombers were killed in the attack. [7] Afghan units were assisted by US forces with air support to repel the Taliban attack. [5]

Claim of Responsibility

The Taliban immediately claimed responsibility for the attack, their second against a major military target since the start of Taliban-US peace talks, probably to strengthen their negotiating position. [6]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Taliban insurgency</span> Insurgency during the War in Afghanistan

The Taliban insurgency was an insurgency that began after the group's fall from power during the 2001 War in Afghanistan. The Taliban forces fought against the Afghan government, led by President Hamid Karzai, and later by President Ashraf Ghani, and against a US-led coalition of forces that has included all members of NATO; the 2021 Taliban offensive resulted in the collapse of the government of Ashraf Ghani.

Tarīnkōṭ, also spelled as Tarin Kowt, is the capital of Uruzgan Province in southern Afghanistan in the Tarinkot District. Tarinkot city has a population of 71,604 (2015), with some 200 small shops in the city's bazaar.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Operation Mountain Fury</span> Military operation in Afghanistan

Operation Mountain Fury was a NATO-led operation begun on September 16, 2006 as a follow-up operation to Operation Medusa, to clear Taliban insurgents from the eastern provinces of Afghanistan. Another focus of the operation was to enable reconstruction projects such as schools, health-care facilities, and courthouses to take place in the targeted provinces.

Events from the year 2007 in Afghanistan.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Camp Shorabak</span> Military air base in Afghanistan

Camp Shorabak is a former British Army airbase, located northwest of the city of Lashkargah in Helmand Province, Afghanistan. The camp was situated in a remote desert area, far from population centres.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">War in Afghanistan (2001–2021)</span> Conflict between NATO Western forces and the Taliban

The Afghanistan War was an armed conflict from 2001 to 2021. It began when an international military coalition led by the United States launched an invasion of Afghanistan, toppling the Taliban-ruled Islamic Emirate and establishing the internationally recognized Islamic Republic three years later. The conflict ultimately ended with the 2021 Taliban offensive, which overthrew the Islamic Republic, and re-established the Islamic Emirate. It was the longest war in the military history of the United States, surpassing the length of the Vietnam War (1955–1975) by approximately 6 months.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Operation Strike of the Sword</span> 2009, US & UK v. Taliban, Afghanistan

Operation Strike of the Sword or Operation Khanjar was a US-led offensive in Helmand province in southern Afghanistan. About 4,000 Marines from the 2nd Marine Expeditionary Brigade as well as 650 Afghan troops were involved, supported by NATO planes. The operation began when units moved into the Helmand River valley in the early hours of July 2, 2009. This operation was the largest Marine offensive since the Battle of Fallujah in 2004. The operation was also the biggest offensive airlift by the Marines since the Vietnam War.

The Battle of Nawzad (2006–2014) was a battle between ISAF (coalition) forces and Taliban insurgents in Nawzad at the center of Nawzad district in the northern half of Helmand Province, southern Afghanistan.

Events from the year 2011 in Afghanistan.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2012 in Afghanistan</span> List of events

Events from the year 2012 in Afghanistan.

The following lists events from 2014 in Afghanistan.

The following lists events that happened in 2013 in Afghanistan.

The following lists events that happened during 2015 in Afghanistan.

The following lists events that happened during 2016 in Afghanistan.

Events in the year 2017 in Afghanistan.

The town of Sangin, in Helmand Province, Afghanistan, was captured by the Taliban on 23 March 2017. For two months, the Taliban had launched fresh attacks in trying to recapture the town.

Events in the year 2018 in Afghanistan.

Events from the year 2019 in Afghanistan.

This article summarizes the history of the War in Afghanistan (2001–2021).

In May 2020, a series of insurgent attacks took place in Afghanistan, starting when the Taliban killed 20 Afghan soldiers and wounded 29 others in Zari, Balkh and Grishk, Helmand on 1 and 3 May, respectively. On 12 May, a hospital's maternity ward in Kabul and a funeral in Kuz Kunar (Khewa), Nangarhar were attacked, resulting in the deaths of 56 people and injuries of 148 others, including newborn babies, mothers, nurses, and mourners. ISIL–KP claimed responsibility for the funeral bombing, but no insurgent group claimed responsibility for the hospital shooting.

References

  1. 1 2 At least 23 Afghan security forces killed in Taliban attack
  2. Snow, Shawn (3 March 2019). "Taliban fighters try to storm base in Helmand province housing US Marines and Afghan forces". Marine Corps Times. Retrieved 14 October 2019.
  3. Jones, Christopher. "Taliban Fighters Attacked an Afghan Army Base Manned by Some U.S. Military Personnel Today". Pacific Standard. Retrieved 14 October 2019.
  4. Shah, Taimoor; Faizi, Fatima; Zucchino, David (1 March 2019). "Taliban Target Key Afghan Base on Eve of Peace Talks". The New York Times. ISSN   0362-4331 . Retrieved 14 October 2019.
  5. 1 2 Snow, Shawn (1 March 2019). "Taliban fighters try to storm base in Helmand province housing US Marines and Afghan forces". Marine Corps Times. Retrieved 25 February 2022.
  6. 1 2 "Taliban forces attack southern Afghan military base as peace talks continue". Washington Post. ISSN   0190-8286 . Retrieved 25 February 2022.
  7. "Taliban suicide team attacks Afghan base in Helmand | FDD's Long War Journal". www.longwarjournal.org. 1 March 2019. Retrieved 25 February 2022.