More on Taliban Massing of Forces
BY Herschel Smith
14 years, 8 months ago
In Taliban Tactics: Massing of Troops, I detailed no less than six instances of Taliban forces massing from 100 to 400 troops for engagements (approximately half-Battalion), including at the fated Battle of Wanat. The Battle of Kamdesh is a seventh instance of massing of forces, in this case up to 300 troops.
The Germans have experienced yet another example.
Germany says three of its soldiers were killed and five severely wounded in heavy fighting with Taliban insurgents today in northern Afghanistan.
The German military said the detachment was patrolling near Chahar Dara, southwest of the city of Konduz, when it was attacked by militants.
District government chief Abdul Wahid Omar Khil estimated there were about 200 Taliban fighters involved in the attack.
See also FOXNews and their report. The Strategy Page has a slightly more detailed account.
The German Army lost another three soldiers on March 26th, when several dozen German troops and Afghan police, as they halted to deal with some roadside bombs, were attacked by over a hundred Taliban. The fighting went on for two hours, mainly because the Taliban had set up their firing positions inside, and on the roofs of, nearby homes. The Taliban know the ROE (Rules of Engagement) all NATO troops must obey, and this means no dropping smart bombs on buildings that might contain civilians. So the Germans had to wait for troop reinforcements to arrive by road.
Whether 100 (Strategy Page) or 200 (Abdul Wahid Omar Khil) fighters, the Taliban are still inefficient and poor shots compared to U.S. fighters. They are aware that their best hope lies in outnumbering their opponents, and they will use this tactic to their advantage whenever possible.
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