IED ambush in Kunar thwarted; IED cell defeated

Blackanthem Military News ^ | Nov 17, 2007 | By ISAF/NATO

[maine-iac7]

The Afghan National Army and ISAF soldiers successfully repelled a complex improvised explosive device ambush at approximately 9 a.m. today in Kunar Province.

Acting on credible intelligence that insurgents were planning a complex ambush on an ISAF vehicle patrol in the Korengal valley, ...

[maine-iac7]

A second patrol was sent to the aid of a vehicle patrol along with air cover to thwart the "insurgents" ,,,

[Redbob]

<i.”One ISAF servicemember received minor wounds when an improvised explosive device exploded under the vehicle he Apparently they’re not using HMMVS...

[maine-iac7]

Please read the entire story = When I read this last night, I was heartened as I thought, "Thank God they are changing their tactics and will now give a patrol under attack both ground and air cover... For those of you who saw the ABC NIGHTLINE last week that featured the men from BATTLE CO, 173rd Airborne, in the Korengal Valley of the Kunar Province.. (videos on line with Airborne's web sight at

http://www.setaf.army.mil/

witnessed the small patrols being ambushed in a repeated tactic of the Taliban - setting up a 3 sided ambush to catch them on the way back the villages to the out post. In the last battle, "Rock Avalanche" this little patrol lost 4 men.

On top of that airing, we got word that 6 more were killed in the same province - 5 more from the 173rd - in the exact same MO -

In these ambushes, the men are pinned down for hours - no other ground troops sent to help and no air cover.

So when I read this account I posted, I was heartened to hear that both ground and air cover was sent - only one soldier received minor wounds.

Today came a new report of yet another heavy ambush in the Kunar on a foot patrol. No mention of any air or extra ground cover...

Why?

I have read previous accounts that tell when there are vehicles, like humvees involved, aid is sent to keep the vehicle from falling into enemy hands and our troops are not allowed to destroy them but must stay with them until they can be recovered...

Link for this last battle

http://schema-root.org/region/asia/southwest_asia/afghanistan/provinces/konar/

(scroll down) " patrol with Afghan soldiers came under a complex attack by Taliban insurgents in eastern Kunar province on Friday morning, ISAF said in a statement. ..."

Is equipment more valuable than troops? (I hope the new commission Gen Petraeus has back at the Pentagon to take a look at the commanders on the ground and perhaps replace ones whose mindset is still the old conventional war rather than the gorilla war these troops are fighting will make some changes FAST - this small Airborne group has been in over 500 battles since they got there in June - that has to be some kind of record...