Battle for Chora , June 2007.

Battle for Chora  (june 2007)

The small town of Chora situated in a small green and wooded area of Uruzgan was the scene of a fierce battle.
The OMF (opposing militant forces) showed renewed interest for the town and its vital roadjunction.

Therefore it was strategically vital, whomever controlled the town controlled the surrounding area.
26th Of april 2007 the first signs of OMF action took place when the Kala Kala policepost was captured by Talibanfighters.
The Taliban then tried to occupy the rest of the town including the city centre, re-named White Compound.
But before the situation got out of control the ANF (Afghan National Army) managed to retake the town and the policepost aided by Dutch support.
From that moment on ISAF decided to keep a company present in the town.
Liberated from the Taliban the small town started to devolope and its inhabitants regained their freedom.

Unfortunately, Chora seemed to be very important for the Taliban and they desperately tried to take it again.
They attacked the town on saturday 16th of june 2007 with 70 fighters.
Around 05.30 in the morning all the policeposts in the east and west of Chora were under attack.
Calls for help by the ANF and Afghan police came in at HQ.
USAF A10s , Dutch 155mm Howitzers and Apaches were quickly directed to the area to support the defenders.
Dutch airmobile 13th infantry Company was also thrown into the battle.
Later in the afternoon Dutch F16s flew 8 sorties to support the troops.
At 1400 the fighting was very intense, several reports mentioned the dead of about 60 enemy fighters.
At 15.30 the Dutch commander in Chora reported the loss of the Sarab policepost.
The posts in the west of the town hold under fire.
Through the gap in the east hundreds of Taliban slipped into Chora and the Dutch troops got involved in fierce streetfightings.
In the evening the situation became bad and the Dutch commander of Chora asked what the coalition could do to keep the town in allied hands.
Only a small area of the towncentre was still under allied control.
Despite tremendous losses the Taliban seemed to be willing to die rather than to give up the town.
Many male inhabitants were murdered by the Taliban.
The taskforce commander, a Dutch LT-col responded quickly.

Governer Munib and his local police force had no more reserves to throw into the battle although the situation demanded a quick reaction.

The local Dutch commanders alarming message about the OMF and the coming darkness created a safety risk for the Dutch soldiers, the ANF men and the civilians in Chora.
Leaving Chora would result in the deaths of many of the civilian population and losing a lot of goodwill for ISAF.
The TF commander finally decided to drive the OMF out of Chora.
He commited all available means to kill the enemy.
All police men would abort their posts in the west and retreat to the centre.
Meanwhile a combatunit was formed with 2 platoons infantry from the 'Limburgse jagers' backed up by several AFN militias attacking from the east and a group with 13th airmobile infantry and 103 reconaissance from the northwest to cut of the OMF advance.
Apache gunships and A10's constantly pounded the enemy with Dutch F16's participating as well.

The final fighs took place on the 17th when the entire Dutch airpower was flying sorties around the clock to keep pressure on the Taliban.
The city would hold throughout sunday.
The TF commander went back to Tarin Kowt to deal with the preparations for a counterattack.
The police and Dutch troops in Chora received new supplies delivered by Chinook helis.
The clock was ticking, the men in Chora were tired after 2 days of continously fighting.

On monday saw the front stabilized with the Taliban suppressed by Apaches and F16s.

Tuesday morning the final coalition counterattack took place.
An extra platoon was added to the combatgroup from Deh rawood.
The combat group formed a line along the axis north-south from the Chora region to the Dorafshan region.
From the east the ANF attacked.
At 1800 the 'all clear' sign was given.
The Taliban suffered about 70 casualties including one of their top mullahs called Mutalib.
The first reports mentioned the killing of at least 60 civilians by the Taliban.

The Dutch forces lost a sergeant major from the mortarplatoon due to an accident and a limited ammount of soldiers were wounded.
Just recently I found out this sergeant major was Jos Leunissen, he was my company sergeant major when I joined the army in 1986.
He died due to an exploding 120mm mortar round which got stuck in the barrel, he managed to save his crew though. A great soldier who gave his live for others to live free!! May he rest in piece.
Reviewing the result and losses to the enemy the Dutch troops showed their high skills.

The TF commander was a young second lt. in my Bn when I joined the army some 25 years ago.
Many of the officers I knew then are now highranking officers, some of them were recently promoted to the rank of general.
I am proud of them and I am proud to say I served with these outstanding soldiers.

Henk