Patrol 5

At 0215, we rolled out for a long-range patrol with the ANSF (Afghan National Security Forces). The patrol was planned and carried out on a very short notice - not only because that's the Afghan way - but also because three Bangladeshi construction workers had been kidnapped two days earlier by the Taliban in Darah-ye Suf-e Pa'in district. We gathered at the OCCP at 0230, and as usual, the ANA (Afghan National Army), was late. After a quick meeting, we set off as a small part of a big convoy of vehicles, about 40 cars. The road is very good for about 20 kilometres, but after that it soon deteriorates into what roads usually are like down here - worse than anything at all one could find in Finland. Believe it or not - there are no roads as bad as the Afghan roads in Finland. The weather was bone dry, so the vehicles raised up a lot of dust, which at times erased all visibiliy. The vehicles had to keep their distances and the road conditions kept the driving speed down. It's only about 85 kilometres to Dara-i-Suf village, but the drive takes about 6 or 7 hours.


In the planning and co-ordination meeting at the OCCP at 0230 in the morning.

Once we got there, the convoy drove into two villages. The Afghans searched houses and confiscated some illegal weapons and ammunition. They even found more than 1000 vaccination syringes, which seemed a little strange. They also gathered the elders and other villagers to the main mosque, and warned the people of serious consequences if they were to collaborate with the Taliban. Each stop didn't take more than an hour, and by the time we got to the second village, it was brunctime. Green bag and tuna, straight out of the can. In the second village there was some evidence about the Taliban having been there: some clothes that are typically used by the Taliban were found in a madrassa.


Some children brought out what they said were Taliban clothes.


Three RPG's (Rocket-propelled grenades), a .22 cal rifle and a load of 0,5 ml syringes were confiscated.

When the convoy had spent about 5 minutes in the third village, unexpected things started happening. A man on horseback gallopped up the hill on the other side of the village and fired an RPG rocket. The ANP took off after him. Soon 8 more men appeared on the hill in two groups of four, and gunfire could be heard. The Talibans tried to escape, but were soon pinned down by the police. The firefight lasted for more than 4 hours, and there were casualties on both side. We were well out of harm's way: we measured with the laser range-finder that it was between 1.3 to 2.1 kilometres to the nearest clashes. When the casualties had been evacuated, we disengaged the Taliban. I watched with binoculars as they regrouped on the hillside and withdrew in the opposite direction. The convoy then drove to Dara-i-Suf for the night.


A view of the battlefield. The Taliban regrouped by the tree at the highest point.


This boot belongs to an unfortunate ANP soldier, who was shot in the leg.

The three Bangladeshi hostages had managed to escape during the firefight, so in that respect the operation had already been a success. We got a nice room at the local police station, and could sleep indoors. The toilet facilities were not so nice.





The following day there for a funeral ceremony for the KIA (killed in action). It was for Muslims only. It was followed by the opening ceremonies of a Girls' School, which was located in the next village. Incidentally, the school was funded by the Swedish Committee for Afghanistan. After the opening ceremony, we were invited to lunch in a private house, with all the sub-commanders of the patrol, and most of the local elders. After lunch the locals gave me a chapan, which came as a complete surprise. (It is, i believe, customary to give away chapans to men of importance. When the provincial governor took office, he was given up to 15 chapans per day. For about two weeks.) After the lunch meeting, the commander of the convoy said that the convoy was now returning to Aibak. That, too, was completely unexpected, as we had prepared for a longer patrol. But the Afghans were in command, and we were just along for the ride.


This mini-truck belonged to the Bangladeshi construction workers and was burned by the Taliban.

The drive back was just as strenuous as the drive there had been. The roads were covered with a thick layer of soft, powdery dust, which blew up in the windscreen of the cars so thick that you had to use the windscreen wipers. The air filters of the engines as well as the air-conditioning system really come into use here.


Near Aibak all the troops of the convoy lined up for a few words of gratitude from the provincial governor.

P.S.: As you may or may not have noticed, the spelling of some names of places has changed slightly. There are still no explicit rules available for the transcription of Dari into English available to us, but to co-ordinate the spelling of names on the map, an SOP (standard operating procedure) was issued with the one spelling suggestion that should be used for the province and district names - at least within ISAF.