(Hoe weten we wat er in Uruzgan aan de hand is? In de eerste plaats zijn er de periodieke overzichten en losse nieuwsberichten die het ministerie van defensie publiceert. Ook het Australische ministerie van defensie verstrekt regelmatig informatie, evenals ISAF, het Amerikaanse opperbevel, en de Afghaanse ministeries van binnenlandse zaken (politie, ANP) en defensie (ANA). Dan is er het dagelijkse overzicht van verleende luchtsteun in Afghanistan en Irak van de Amerikaanse luchtmacht (www.af.mil). Onderstaand de meldingen in april v.w.b. Uruzgan.
Plaatsnamen: Oruzgan is hoe de Amerikanen en Australiërs Uruzgan spellen, en het is tevens een stadje in een district waar geen ISAF-troepen actief zijn: het oostelijke Khas Uruzgan. De plaatsaanduidingen zijn verder globaal: ‘ over Tarin Kowt‘ hoeft niet te betekenen dat de vliegtuigen letterlijk boven het stadje hebben gevlogen, de aanduiding kan ook slaan op het gelijknamige district als geheel. Activiteiten van de Koninklijke Luchtmacht kom je in deze overzichten niet tegen, om redenen die mij onbekend zijn verstrekt Defensie alleen details over de inzet van de Nederlandse F-16’s wanneer die in andere provincies dan Uruzgan actief zijn, hdv)
6 april*
Navy F/A-18C Hornets and F/A-18E Super Hornets over Tarin Kowt struck anti-Afghan positions during a firefight on the ground between enemy and coalition forces. The aircraft hit enemy indirect fire spotters as well as a number of personnel armed with assault rifles.
*(de dag van de dodelijke raketaanval op Kamp Holland)
8 april
A coalition aircraft monitoring the activities of suspicious persons near Musa Qala and Tarin Kowt flew several shows of force to discourage their plans and disperse them. Some of the individuals appeared to be involved in setting up a rocket attack. However, coalition forces opted not to use lethal force in order to prevent causing injury to residents or damaging civilian structures in the area.
9 april
In Tarin Kowt, enemy personnel occupied a compound in the vicinity of a local marketplace, firing from behind walls, windows and doorways at a coalition unit in the area. During the extended firefight that ensued, multiple Navy, Air Force and coalition aircraft responded, using strafing runs and Hellfire missiles to destroy the anti-Afghan fighting position. This selection of weapons intentionally minimized damage to the structure and adjacent civilian buildings.
12 april
A coalition ground controller called in a strike against an enemy position near Tarin Kowt. A Navy F/A-18C responded, placing a GBU-38 under precision guidance directly on the position
14 april
Near Tarin Kowt, a coalition aircraft also performed a show of force over a suspected enemy position. A ground forces commander called for the flyover then had the aircraft monitor the location to locate enemy personnel withdrawing from the area.
20 april
In Afghanistan, an Air Force B-1B Lancer bomber destroyed an anti-Afghan fighting position in a building near Oruzgan. The weapon, a guided bomb unit-38, was set to a tightly constrained fusing configuration to restrict damage to surrounding structures.
24 april
An F-15E and a coalition aircraft struck a number of anti-Afghan forces fighting positions along hills and in an orchard near Oruzgan after a coalition patrol began taking hostile fire. The jets used a variety of precision munitions and strafing runs to root out the dug in enemy force. An F-15 also flew a show of force to cover coalition maneuvers during the firefight.
25 april
A coalition unit moving through Oruzgan started taking small-arms fire, prompting an Air Force F-15E Strike Eagle and a Navy Super Hornet to strike enemy fighting positions with guided bomb unit-31 and -38s. The Super Hornet also flew a show of force as enemy personnel attempted to regroup, causing the remaining gunmen to flee in disorder.
27 april
In Tarin Kowt, an MQ-9** hit a group of anti-Afghan forces personnel planting an improvised explosive device. The unmanned aircraft also dropped a GBU-12 to strike enemy personnel that survived the initial blast and were trying to escape.
**(een onbemand bewapend vliegtuig, volledige naam MQ-9 Reaper)
(Bron: U.S. Air Force)
(Zie ook het overzicht luchtsteun van maart j.l.)
