The Battle of Arghandab (code-named ''Operation IBRAT'' by the insurgents) began on June 18, 2008, when

NATO The North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO, ; french: Organisation du traité de l'Atlantique nord, ), also called the North Atlantic Alliance, is an intergovernmental military alliance between 30 member states – 28 European and two No ...

-led forces attacked

Taliban The Taliban (; ps, طالبان, ṭālibān, lit=students or 'seekers'), which also refers to itself by its state name, the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan, is a Deobandi Islamic fundamentalist, militant Islamist, jihadist, and Pasht ...

militants in response to Taliban attacks in

Arghandab District Arghandab (Pashto/ fa, ارغنداب) is a district in the central part of Kandahar Province, Afghanistan. It borders Panjwai and Khakrez districts to the west, Shah Wali Kot District to the north and east and Kandahar District to the east a ...

and

Kandahar Kandahar (; Kandahār, , Qandahār) is a city in Afghanistan, located in the south of the country on the Arghandab River, at an elevation of . It is Afghanistan's second largest city after Kabul, with a population of about 614,118. It is the c ...

. The battle in Arghandab marked the second time in less than a year that the Taliban has tried to take control of the area.''

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'',
Afghanistan Battles Taliban in South
, June 19, 2008

Background

On June 13, 2008, Taliban fighters attacked the Sarposa Prison in a co-ordinated assault which freed the 800-900 prisoners, approximately a third of whom were believed to have past ties to the insurgency.

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,
Taliban Militants Storm Afghan Jail
, June 13, 2008 Coalition forces swept the area for escaped convicts, leading to the deaths of 15 militants in an air strike against a farm. In the following days, it was widely reported that as many as 18 towns surrounding Kandahar had been overrun by Afghan militants, and that approximately 500 insurgents had moved into the neighbouring

north of the city, to make use of its grape and pomegranate groves to conceal themselves while they prepared to re-take Kandahar. International Herald Tribune
Taliban takes control of 18 towns in Kandahar, elder says
June 17, 2008 The insurgents warned locals to flee the area before heavy fighting began, while Coalition planes dropped leaflets suggesting that civilians remain indoors. On June 16, 2008, Afghan National Army (ANA) and Coalition forces conducted a five-hour patrol through the area, and reported that they had seen no sign of an insurgent build-up and that any reports suggesting otherwise were "unfounded".

Build-up

Despite reassurances a battle was not looming, the Canadians called an emergency meeting with the ANA on June 16, 2008, and the following day coalition forces flew 700 ANA troops from Kabul into the region on June 17, 2008, as hundreds of civilians fled the area, and

Canadian Forces } The Canadian Armed Forces (CAF; french: Forces armées canadiennes, ''FAC'') are the unified military forces of Canada, including sea, land, and air elements referred to as the Royal Canadian Navy, Canadian Army, and Royal Canadian Air Forc ...

reported a small gunbattle with insurgents on the outskirts of the city. CTV News
Kandahar 'under control': Canadian commander
, June 17, 2008 Afghan insurgents destroyed culverts and bridges around Kandahar, while planting minefields in an attempt to limit Coalition mobility. The insurgents began sending shipments of weapons and ammunition into their neighboring towns,Boone, Jon. ''

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''
Afghans flee ahead of anti-Taliban push
June 17, 2008 while

commander Mullah Ahmedullah suggested that the insurgents were waiting for the

-led forces to make the first move. Canadian soldiers increased their presence at "high-risk" targets in Kandahar, including a power station, the residence of governor Ahmed Wali Karzai, Sarposa Prison and their own reconstruction base.Panetta, Alexander. Canadian Press
Canadian troops encounter bomb, exchange gunfire on patrol in Kandahar City
June 17, 2008 A 22:00

curfew A curfew is a government order specifying a time during which certain regulations apply. Typically, curfews order all people affected by them to ''not'' be in public places or on roads within a certain time frame, typically in the evening and ...

was placed on vehicles in the city. Akhtar Mohammad, who had been among the escapees from the Sarposa Prison, reported that he was among approximately 200 insurgents in Zhari, preparing to enter Arghandab in advance of the battle.

The battle

-led forces entered Arghandab on June 18, 2008, and were met by only small pockets of resistance. An air strike in Tabin was reported to have killed 20 insurgents, while two ANA soldiers were killed in a firefight that left 16 insurgents dead in Khohak.

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Heavy combat in Afghan's Arghandab district
June 18, 2008 On June 19,

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Denis Thompson confirmed that the insurgents had been defeated outside of Kandahar City, but also added that they could regroup and attack again.CTV,
'No doubt' defeated Taliban will be back: general
", June 19, 2008 Australian journalist Jamie Kidston was shot in the arm while working for

and filming Canadian troops in combat. One local resident was killed, and another wounded. Three other civilian contractors working for ISAF were also wounded.

Khaleej Times ''Khaleej Times'' is a daily English language newspaper published in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. Launched on 16 April 1978, ''Khaleej Times'' is the UAE's longest-running English daily newspaper. History and profile A partnership between the U ...

Afghan civilian killed in anti-Taleban operation: NATO
, June 19, 2008

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Arghandab Conflicts in 2008 2008 in Afghanistan Battles of the War in Afghanistan (2001–2021) Battles of the War in Afghanistan (2001–2021) involving Canada History of Kandahar Province June 2008 events in Asia