Angoor Ada raid
Encyclopedia
The Angoor Ada raid was a covert raid conducted by U.S. Army Special Forces against Taliban fighters on September 3, 2008, within the border town of Angoor Ada
in South Waziristan
. It was the first time U.S. troops fought a ground-based battle against the Taliban within Pakistan
i borders. The raid took place at the same time as Pakistani military forces ended a four-week offensive in Bajaur
, the northernmost Agency of the Federally Administered Tribal Areas
of which South Waziristan is the southernmost, an offensive that has displaced approximately half a million people.
The raid occurred in the village of Moosi Neka (ﺙﻅﹿﺏ ﻑی) of the Angoor Ada
region of South Waziristan
, Pakistan
, less than one mile (1.6 km) from the border of Afghanistan
. The operation was executed at 3:00 AM local time
(23h00 in UTC
). Though the U.S. has performed missile
strikes in Pakistan before, this is reportedly the first time U.S. troops have taken ground action within the country against Taliban fighters. According to some early reports, roughly twenty people, possibly including three women and four children, were killed in the raid. However, it is not clear whether these were civilians or combatants; an American official stated that the women killed were helping the hostile militants.
Three Black Hawk helicopter
s carrying 45 U.S. special forces soldiers conducted the raid. Only one of the helicopters landed and unloaded, while the two others flew overhead providing surveillance and aerial support to the other team. Two F-16 fighter jets also provided air cover. The forces attacked three houses, owned by "Faujan Wazir, Faiz Mohammad and Nazar Jan Wazir." The entire operation lasted 30 minutes. All of the inhabitants were apparently asleep when the raid occurred, and after examination none of the dead proved to be "important terrorists or high-value targets." A U.S. military official stated that "a small number of militants [were] captured and several others killed," but refused to comment on exact numbers.
said that "a strong protest by [the] Foreign Office has been lodged with [the] Government of United States," and "such acts of aggression do not serve the common cause of fighting terrorism and militancy in the area." On September 4, the Pakistani parliament passed a resolution condemning the raid and demanding increased American oversight and cooperation with Pakistani officials when conducting covert operations. Anne W. Patterson
, the United States Ambassador to Pakistan
, was called to the Pakistan Foreign Office, where a protest was lodged. In response to the raid, Pakistani Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi
told the National Assembly on Thursday, "There is no high-value target or known terrorist among the dead ... Only innocent civilians, including women and children, have been targeted."
In response to the raid, United States Secretary of State
Condoleezza Rice
said, "I don't have anything for you on Pakistan, except to say that obviously we are working very closely with the civilian government there." Rice refused to comment on the possibility of civilian casualties. Reuters
cited U.S. Pentagon officials, speaking on condition of anonymity, who confirmed that the raid was conducted by U.S. special operations forces.
The Chairman of the Pakistani Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee (JCSC), Gen Tariq Majid, stated that "Pakistan reserves right to retaliate".
On Saturday, September 6, 2008, Pakistan blocked a fuel route supplying U.S. and other western forces operating in Afghanistan in response to the raid. "We have told them that we will take action and we have already taken action today. We have stopped the supply of oil and this will tell how serious we are," said Pakistani Defence Minister Ahmad Mukhtar.
Angoor Ada
Angoor Ada is a village and a border crossing straddling the South Waziristan Agency of Pakistan's Federally Administered Tribal Areas and Afghanistan's Paktika Province...
in South Waziristan
South Waziristan
South Waziristan is the southern part of Waziristan, a mountainous region of northwest Pakistan, bordering Afghanistan and covering some 11,585 km² . Waziristan comprises the area west and southwest of Peshawar between the Tochi River to the north and the Gomal River to the south, forming...
. It was the first time U.S. troops fought a ground-based battle against the Taliban within Pakistan
Pakistan
Pakistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan is a sovereign state in South Asia. It has a coastline along the Arabian Sea and the Gulf of Oman in the south and is bordered by Afghanistan and Iran in the west, India in the east and China in the far northeast. In the north, Tajikistan...
i borders. The raid took place at the same time as Pakistani military forces ended a four-week offensive in Bajaur
Bajaur
Bajaur or Bajur or Bajour is an Agency of the Federally Administered Tribal Areas of Pakistan. Smallest of the agencies in FATA, it has a hilly terrain. According to the 1998 census, the population was 595,227 but other more recent estimates it has grown to 757,000...
, the northernmost Agency of the Federally Administered Tribal Areas
Federally Administered Tribal Areas
The Federally Administered Tribal Areas are a semi-autonomous tribal region in the northwest of Pakistan, lying between the province of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Balochistan, and the neighboring country of Afghanistan. The FATA comprise seven Agencies and six FRs...
of which South Waziristan is the southernmost, an offensive that has displaced approximately half a million people.
Operations
Angoor Ada
Angoor Ada is a village and a border crossing straddling the South Waziristan Agency of Pakistan's Federally Administered Tribal Areas and Afghanistan's Paktika Province...
region of South Waziristan
South Waziristan
South Waziristan is the southern part of Waziristan, a mountainous region of northwest Pakistan, bordering Afghanistan and covering some 11,585 km² . Waziristan comprises the area west and southwest of Peshawar between the Tochi River to the north and the Gomal River to the south, forming...
, Pakistan
Pakistan
Pakistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan is a sovereign state in South Asia. It has a coastline along the Arabian Sea and the Gulf of Oman in the south and is bordered by Afghanistan and Iran in the west, India in the east and China in the far northeast. In the north, Tajikistan...
, less than one mile (1.6 km) from the border of Afghanistan
Afghanistan
Afghanistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan, is a landlocked country located in the centre of Asia, forming South Asia, Central Asia and the Middle East. With a population of about 29 million, it has an area of , making it the 42nd most populous and 41st largest nation in the world...
. The operation was executed at 3:00 AM local time
Pakistan Standard Time
Pakistan Time is the time zone for Pakistan. It is 5 hours ahead of GMT/UTC .The only tz database zone is Asia/Karachi.-History:The current Pakistan time was set up at midnight between 29 September and 30 1951...
(23h00 in UTC
Coordinated Universal Time
Coordinated Universal Time is the primary time standard by which the world regulates clocks and time. It is one of several closely related successors to Greenwich Mean Time. Computer servers, online services and other entities that rely on having a universally accepted time use UTC for that purpose...
). Though the U.S. has performed missile
Missile
Though a missile may be any thrown or launched object, it colloquially almost always refers to a self-propelled guided weapon system.-Etymology:The word missile comes from the Latin verb mittere, meaning "to send"...
strikes in Pakistan before, this is reportedly the first time U.S. troops have taken ground action within the country against Taliban fighters. According to some early reports, roughly twenty people, possibly including three women and four children, were killed in the raid. However, it is not clear whether these were civilians or combatants; an American official stated that the women killed were helping the hostile militants.
Three Black Hawk helicopter
Helicopter
A helicopter is a type of rotorcraft in which lift and thrust are supplied by one or more engine-driven rotors. This allows the helicopter to take off and land vertically, to hover, and to fly forwards, backwards, and laterally...
s carrying 45 U.S. special forces soldiers conducted the raid. Only one of the helicopters landed and unloaded, while the two others flew overhead providing surveillance and aerial support to the other team. Two F-16 fighter jets also provided air cover. The forces attacked three houses, owned by "Faujan Wazir, Faiz Mohammad and Nazar Jan Wazir." The entire operation lasted 30 minutes. All of the inhabitants were apparently asleep when the raid occurred, and after examination none of the dead proved to be "important terrorists or high-value targets." A U.S. military official stated that "a small number of militants [were] captured and several others killed," but refused to comment on exact numbers.
Response
A statement made by the Government of PakistanGovernment of Pakistan
The Government of Pakistan is a federal parliamentary system, with an indirectly-elected President as the Head of State and Commander in Chief of the Pakistani Armed Forces, and an indirectly-elected Prime Minister as the Head of Government. The President’s appointment and term are...
said that "a strong protest by [the] Foreign Office has been lodged with [the] Government of United States," and "such acts of aggression do not serve the common cause of fighting terrorism and militancy in the area." On September 4, the Pakistani parliament passed a resolution condemning the raid and demanding increased American oversight and cooperation with Pakistani officials when conducting covert operations. Anne W. Patterson
Anne W. Patterson
Anne Woods Patterson is an American diplomat and career Foreign Service Officer. She currently serves as the United States Ambassador to Egypt. She previously served as acting United States Ambassador to the United Nations in 2005 and as United States Ambassador to Pakistan from July 2007 to...
, the United States Ambassador to Pakistan
United States Ambassador to Pakistan
The U.S. embassy in Karachi was established August 15, 1947 with Edward W. Holmes as Chargé d'Affaires ad interim, pending the appointment of an ambassador. The first ambassador, Paul H. Alling, was appointed on September 20, 1947. Anne W. Patterson was nominated as United States Ambassador to...
, was called to the Pakistan Foreign Office, where a protest was lodged. In response to the raid, Pakistani Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi
Shah Mehmood Qureshi
Makhdoom Shah Mehmood Hussain Qureshi is well-known Politician in Pakistan. He was the Foreign Minister of Pakistan in the coalition government of PPP, Muttahida Quami Movement[MQM], ANP and JUI-F formed after the 2008 general elections. He was a senior leader of Pakistan Peoples Party, where...
told the National Assembly on Thursday, "There is no high-value target or known terrorist among the dead ... Only innocent civilians, including women and children, have been targeted."
In response to the raid, United States Secretary of State
United States Secretary of State
The United States Secretary of State is the head of the United States Department of State, concerned with foreign affairs. The Secretary is a member of the Cabinet and the highest-ranking cabinet secretary both in line of succession and order of precedence...
Condoleezza Rice
Condoleezza Rice
Condoleezza Rice is an American political scientist and diplomat. She served as the 66th United States Secretary of State, and was the second person to hold that office in the administration of President George W. Bush...
said, "I don't have anything for you on Pakistan, except to say that obviously we are working very closely with the civilian government there." Rice refused to comment on the possibility of civilian casualties. Reuters
Reuters
Reuters is a news agency headquartered in New York City. Until 2008 the Reuters news agency formed part of a British independent company, Reuters Group plc, which was also a provider of financial market data...
cited U.S. Pentagon officials, speaking on condition of anonymity, who confirmed that the raid was conducted by U.S. special operations forces.
The Chairman of the Pakistani Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee (JCSC), Gen Tariq Majid, stated that "Pakistan reserves right to retaliate".
On Saturday, September 6, 2008, Pakistan blocked a fuel route supplying U.S. and other western forces operating in Afghanistan in response to the raid. "We have told them that we will take action and we have already taken action today. We have stopped the supply of oil and this will tell how serious we are," said Pakistani Defence Minister Ahmad Mukhtar.
See also
- War in North-West PakistanWar in North-West PakistanThe War in North-West Pakistan is an armed conflict between the Pakistan Armed Forces and armed religious groups such as the Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan , Lashkar-e-Islam, TSNM, Arab and Central Asian militants including Al-Qaeda, regional armed movements and elements of organized crime.The armed...
- War on TerrorismWar on TerrorismThe War on Terror is a term commonly applied to an international military campaign led by the United States and the United Kingdom with the support of other North Atlantic Treaty Organisation as well as non-NATO countries...