The Battle of Bajaur ( en, Operation Lion Heart), also known as Operation Sherdil, was a military campaign in the
Bajaur
Bajaur District ( ps, باجوړ ولسوالۍ, ur, ) is a district in Malakand Division of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province in Pakistan. Until 2018, it was an agency of the Federally Administered Tribal Areas, then during restructuring that merg ...
region of
Pakistan
Pakistan ( ur, ), officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan ( ur, , label=none), is a country in South Asia. It is the world's List of countries and dependencies by population, fifth-most populous country, with a population of almost 24 ...
. It was conducted on 7 August 2008 by the
Frontier Corps
The Frontier Corps ( ur, , reporting name: FC), are a group of paramilitary forces of Pakistan, operating in the provinces of Balochistan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, to maintain law and order while overseeing the country's borders with Afghanist ...
and Infantry Brigade of
Pakistan army
The Pakistan Army (, ) is the Army, land service branch of the Pakistan Armed Forces. The roots of its modern existence trace back to the British Indian Army that ceased to exist following the partition of India, Partition of British India, wh ...
. The operation was primarily launched to end the political movement of the
Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan
The Pakistani Taliban (), formally called the Tehreek-e-Taliban-e-Pakistan (Urdu/ ps, , lit=Student Movement of Pakistan, TTP), is an umbrella organization of various Islamist armed militant groups operating along the Afghan–Pakistani bor ...
. Bajaur area was administered by
Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan
The Pakistani Taliban (), formally called the Tehreek-e-Taliban-e-Pakistan (Urdu/ ps, , lit=Student Movement of Pakistan, TTP), is an umbrella organization of various Islamist armed militant groups operating along the Afghan–Pakistani bor ...
until 2007, and it remained
Al-Qaeda
Al-Qaeda (; , ) is an Islamic extremism, Islamic extremist organization composed of Salafist jihadists. Its members are mostly composed of Arab, Arabs, but also include other peoples. Al-Qaeda has mounted attacks on civilian and military ta ...
's central
command and control
Command and control (abbr. C2) is a "set of organizational and technical attributes and processes ... hatemploys human, physical, and information resources to solve problems and accomplish missions" to achieve the goals of an organization or en ...
for carrying out activities in Northeast
Afghanistan
Afghanistan, officially the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan,; prs, امارت اسلامی افغانستان is a landlocked country located at the crossroads of Central Asia and South Asia. Referred to as the Heart of Asia, it is bordere ...
and
Kunar province
Kunar (Pashto: ; Dari: ) is one of the 34 provinces of Afghanistan, located in the northeastern part of the country. Its capital is Asadabad. Its population is estimated to be 508,224. Kunar's major political groups include Wahhabis or Ahl-e- Ha ...
.
Recent reports indicate that ongoing conflict has newly displaced an estimate of 7,000 people between 3 and 4 March in Nurgal district.
Ambush in Bajaur
During the early days of August in 2008, a check-post was established by the Frontier Corps to seize control of the Afghan-Pakistan border crossing over
Tehrik-e-Taliban
The Pakistani Taliban (), formally called the Tehreek-e-Taliban-e-Pakistan (Urdu/ ps, , lit=Student Movement of Pakistan, TTP), is an umbrella organization of various Islamist armed militant groups operating along the Afghan–Pakistani bor ...
. Check-post was constructed near the town of
Loyesam which is 12 km away from
Khaar
Khar ( ps, ښار, ''X̌ār''), also spelled Khaar, is the headquarters of the Bajaur District of Pakistan. Khar was one of the largest towns in the Federally Administered Tribal Areas (merged into Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province in 2018), and lies ...
.
Loyesam (or Loisam) is a strategic position that controls passage into Afghanistan's
Kunar province
Kunar (Pashto: ; Dari: ) is one of the 34 provinces of Afghanistan, located in the northeastern part of the country. Its capital is Asadabad. Its population is estimated to be 508,224. Kunar's major political groups include Wahhabis or Ahl-e- Ha ...
. The militant attacks caused heavy casualties to the Pakistani army. Eventually, the army was relocated to Khar town.
Background
Several days later, the Frontier Corps began a large-scale offensive under the command of Major-General Tariq Khan, codenamed Operation Sherdil (Lion heart), intending to regain control of Bajaur from the Taliban.
About 8,000 troops belonging to the FC and Army, backed by
Cobra attack helicopter
An attack helicopter is an armed helicopter with the primary role of an attack aircraft, with the offensive capability of engaging ground targets such as enemy infantry, military vehicles and fortifications. Due to their heavy armament they ...
s and fighter jets were deployed that attacked Taliban hideouts. To support the Army, the
Pakistan Air Force
, "Be it deserts or seas; all lie under our wings" (traditional)
, colours =
, colours_label =
, march =
, mascot =
, anniversaries = ...
responded with aggressive air campaign. Pakistani military sources revealed that the army was surprised by the resistance of the insurgents. Taliban used advanced tactics to fight prepared defense system.
By the end of the year, the Army claimed that it had killed more than 1,000 militants, including the foreign commander of Al Qaeda, an
Egyptian
Egyptian describes something of, from, or related to Egypt.
Egyptian or Egyptians may refer to:
Nations and ethnic groups
* Egyptians, a national group in North Africa
** Egyptian culture, a complex and stable culture with thousands of years of ...
called Abu Saeed Al-Masri.
The Army suffered 20 casualties.
The military encouraged local tribes to rebel against the Taliban by raising the ''lashkars'' (tribal militias) to fight alongside the government forces. The
Salarzai The Salarzai are one of the four Tarkani clans. They inhabit what is now Bajaur District in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan. In 2014, they may have been the majority tribe among the area's 600,000 population. In common with some other tribes of the are ...
tribe reportedly counted 4,000 armed fighters, responded favorably to this initiative.
On 7 October, the Salarzai elders announced that they had cleared their tribal territory of militants, and requested the deployment of government troops to consolidate the gains they had made.
According to several sources, 20 September
Islamabad Marriott Hotel bombing
The Islamabad Marriott Hotel bombing occurred on the night of 20 September 2008, when a dumper truck filled with explosives was detonated in front of the Marriott Hotel in the Pakistani capital Islamabad, killing at least 54 people, injuring ...
might have occurred in retaliation for the military offensive in Bajaur.
On 8 October, during a briefing to the
Parliament
In modern politics, and history, a parliament is a legislative body of government. Generally, a modern parliament has three functions: Representation (politics), representing the Election#Suffrage, electorate, making laws, and overseeing ...
, the military announced that the operation killed 2,744 militants, including 321 foreigners, and caused 1,400 casualties to the militants. On 25 October, the Pakistan forces reportedly recaptured Taliban militants in Loi Sam village. About 500 militants were reportedly killed in the Bajaur area on 25 October. By the end of 2008, security forces were stationed at Torghudai, Nawagai, Utmankhel, and Salarzai. By mid-2009, the security forces controlled the bulk of the Mamund and Chahrmang valleys as well. The last operation was launched in February 2010 with fresh reinforcements to mop up the last pockets of militants, including the notorious
Damadola Damadola is a village in the Bajaur Agency of the Federally Administered Tribal Areas in Pakistan, about from the Afghanistan border, it is located at 34° 48' 20N 71° 28' 0E at an altitude of 1082 metres (3553 feet). The village gained internatio ...
stronghold. Bajaur was ultimately declared clear in March 2010. When the operation was completed, a large number of militants surrendered before the army.
Strategic significance
The opinion of military leaders in the early stages of the battle asserted that it was a decisive confrontation of Pakistan's war against the Taliban. Military officials allegedly said the conflict "could decide the fate of other tribal areas" with Bajaur possibly being the most crucial militant stronghold outside of Waziristan.
The influx of Taliban fighters from the Kunar province across the border of Afghanistan was viewed as a further sign that dictated the nature of the fight by diverting resources away from fighting with
International Security Assistance Force
' ps, کمک او همکاري '
, allies = Afghanistan
, opponents = Taliban Al-Qaeda
, commander1 =
, commander1_label = Commander
, commander2 =
, commander2_label =
, commander3 =
, comman ...
.
Results
On 28 February 2009, the security forces defeated the Taliban and other Islamist militants in Bajaur, which was a strategically important region on the Afghan border. Major-General
Tariq Khan, who was commanding the military operations in five of the seven agencies stated that the Army and the
Frontier Corps
The Frontier Corps ( ur, , reporting name: FC), are a group of paramilitary forces of Pakistan, operating in the provinces of Balochistan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, to maintain law and order while overseeing the country's borders with Afghanist ...
killed most militants in Bajaur, the smallest of the agencies but a major infiltration route into Afghanistan, after a six-month long offensive. The Pakistan Army killed over 1,800 militants. However, the forces suffered 30 deaths and four casualties.
Leadership
Maj Gen. Tariq Khan
Gen. Tariq Khan served as the Inspector General of the Frontier Corps during Operation Sherdil. He is known as the architect of the Battle of Bajaur. He is primarily credited with transforming the Frontier Corps into a highly efficient and professional counter-terrorism force. He supervised all operations in Bajaur. His physical presence at the forward-most positions during critical stages of the battle was an inspiration for the junior leaders and a morale booster for the troops.
Brig. Abid Mumtaz
Brigadier
Brigadier is a military rank, the seniority of which depends on the country. In some countries, it is a senior rank above colonel, equivalent to a brigadier general or commodore, typically commanding a brigade of several thousand soldiers. In ...
Abid Mumtaz served as the officer commanding of Operation Sherdil in Bajaur. A commander noted for leading his troops from the front. He emerged an example of his dedication to service on 9 September 2008, when the leading forces under his command reached at
Rashakai
Rashakai is a small town located along the Nowshera-Mardan road, in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa.
Rashakai interchange
The town gained importance in 2007, when an interchange of the M1 Motorway was constructed here. Rashakai interchange serves for Nows ...
town. The militants disrupted the communication line at Nissarabad, and he chose to stay on the frontline. He personally led the frontline forces for 15 days and did not return to headquarters until communication line was restored. He was awarded for his gallant actions and is now serving as the Major General. Mumtaz also conducted Khyber 2 operation in Tirah Valley in 2015.
Brig. Zafar-Ul-Haq.
Brigadier Zafar-ul-Haq replaced Brig Abid Mumtaz on 24 February 2010. He launched several operations to completely wipe out the Taliban's presence in Bajaur and expanded the security forces in each area of Bajaur. Brigadier Zafar-Ul-Haq pushed the Taliban away from the local areas and has ensured safety for the local people.
Battalion Commanders
Battalion commanders who served in Operation Sherdil.
# Lt Col Baloch & Lt Col Munawar
# Lt Col Anjum Saleem, Lt Col Nadir Khan, Lt Col Rashid
# Lt Col Asad, Lt Col Ali, Lt Col Amjad
The dedication of combatant commanders helped the Bajaul Valley to end the terrorism.
Col. Nauman Saeed
Colonel
Colonel (abbreviated as Col., Col or COL) is a senior military officer rank used in many countries. It is also used in some police forces and paramilitary organizations.
In the 17th, 18th and 19th centuries, a colonel was typically in charge of ...
Nauman Saeed served as the operation commandant in Bajaur, where he was posted in and was due to assume command on 14 August 2008. However, owing to extraordinary circumstances, he had to leave for Bajaur on 6 August 2008. Miscreants surrounded a party that was sent to establish a post in Loesam. Nauman led the link-up unit on 8 August 2008 after the previous day's failed link attempt.
The troops were ambushed at Tankhatta, where they retaliate and held their positions for over 8 hours against well-entrenched militants to facilitate previous filtration of the party besieged at Loesam.
In another incident, the convoy of
Inspector-General
An inspector general is an investigative official in a civil or military organization. The plural of the term is "inspectors general".
Australia
The Inspector-General of Intelligence and Security (Australia) (IGIS) is an independent statutory of ...
Frontier Corps
The Frontier Corps ( ur, , reporting name: FC), are a group of paramilitary forces of Pakistan, operating in the provinces of Balochistan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, to maintain law and order while overseeing the country's borders with Afghanist ...
Major-General Tariq Khan was ambushed on 9 September 2009 at Nissarabad. Col. Nauman went back to the ambush site with a tank and a Quick Response Force to extricate the crew of a vehicle that was disabled by the militants fire. His tank received multiple hits by RPG-7s and his operator suffered a bullet injury. However, they extracted the stranded vehicle along with the soldiers. He was awarded by the government for his contribution to the operation.
[http://www.dawn.com/wps/wcm/connect/dawn-content-library/dawn/the-newspaper/national/military-awards-announced-589rp.pl ]
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Battle Of Bajaur
2008 in Pakistan
Bajaur
Bajaur District ( ps, باجوړ ولسوالۍ, ur, ) is a district in Malakand Division of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province in Pakistan. Until 2018, it was an agency of the Federally Administered Tribal Areas, then during restructuring that merged ...
Conflicts in 2008
History of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa
Wars involving the Taliban