Afghan Special Forces Helicopter Raid Against Taliban

NATO, January 26, 2018 - AFGHANISTAN by Maj Tony Mayne, NATO Special Operations Component Command-Afghanistan - 7th Special Operations Kandak Commandos conducted a nighttime helicopter air assault raid on a known Taliban “Red Unit” compound in De Daraband Sar, Nahr-e Saraj district, Helmand province, Afghanistan, Jan. 26, 2018.

The special operators seized and destroyed approximately 453 kg of the Taliban’s homemade explosives, and detained 17 persons of interest.

The Commandos also identified and destroyed an IED production facility, large amounts of IED components, and 90 kg of hashish.

Elite Army Units

This is the fourth 7th SOK operation targeting Taliban Red Units in Helmand in the last two weeks.

After a short firefight on Jan. 15, Commandos deliberately cleared a Red Unit compound in Faizullah Khan, Sangin district. 7th SOK discovered and destroyed 488 kg of raw explosive materials, 50 IED initiators, 220 pressure plates, 15 rockets, 22 grenades, and more than 500 kg of explosives.

On Jan. 20, 7th SOK destroyed a Taliban staging area used to launch attacks on local Afghan National Defense and Security Forces, and removed six insurgents in Nahr-e-Saraj district.

On Jan. 23, the Commandos seized 45 kg of explosives, 41 pressure plates used to make IEDs, 18 sets of body armor, and stockpiles of other IED components and military equipment during a night raid in Nahr-e Saraj district.

The Taliban consider the Red Units their more elite fighters; however, these insurgents have not demonstrated a willingness to engage the Commandos.