Battle of Wanat 2008
Recorded location from Wikidata; battle sites are often approximate.
Key facts
| Date | 13 July 2008 | Wikidata |
|---|---|---|
| Year | 2008 | Wikidata P585 (point in time) |
| Era | Post-1945 (1946 onwards) | derived from year |
| Location | Afghanistan | Natural Earth (modern borders) |
| Continent | Asia | Natural Earth |
| War / conflict | War in Afghanistan (2001–2021) | Wikidata P361 |
| Coordinates | 35.0525, 70.9075 | Wikidata P625 |
About the battle
The Battle of Wanat took place on July 13, 2008, when around 200 Taliban insurgents attacked American troops stationed in the Waygal district of Afghanistan's far eastern Nuristan province. The distant position was primarily defended by United States Army soldiers with 2nd Platoon, Chosen Company, 2nd Battalion, 503rd Infantry Regiment (Airborne), 173rd Airborne Brigade Combat Team.
The Taliban encircled the remote base and its observation post, attacking it from mountains and surrounding farmland. They destroyed much of the US troops' heavy munitions, broke through their lines, and entered the main base before being finally repelled by artillery and aircraft. The US claimed to have killed at least 21 Taliban fighters for nine of its own soldiers killed and 27 wounded, together with four Afghan National Army (ANA) soldiers wounded.
One of several attacks on remote outposts, the Battle of Wanat has been described as among the bloodiest Taliban attacks of the war. In contrast to previous assaults, from roadside bombings to haphazard ambushes, this attack was well-coordinated; fighters across different insurgent groups were able to precisely target key equipment, such as a wire-guided missile launcher, through a sustained and disciplined effort.
Text adapted from the Wikipedia article Battle of Wanat (revision 1376500807), licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. Changes: excerpted from the article lead section; shortened by selecting paragraphs and trimming at a sentence boundary; formatting and citations removed. No text added.
Nearby battles
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- Battle of Ganjgal 2009 · 37 km
- Battle of Asadabad 2014 · 42 km
- Siege of Kunar Khas 1945 · 46 km
- Battle of Kamdesh 2009 · 56 km
- Siege of Jalalabad (1928–1929) 1928 · 81 km
Other battles of the War in Afghanistan (2001–2021)
- Siege of Musa Qala 2006
- Battle of Chora 2007
- Battle of Firebase Anaconda 2007
- Battle of Musa Qala 2007
- Operation Achilles 2007
- Battle of Arghandab (2008) 2008
- Battle of Ebrahimkhel 2008
- Battle of Shewan 2008
- Uzbin Valley ambush 2008
- Battle of Alasay 2009
All 33 battles of the War in Afghanistan (2001–2021) →
Browse more: battles in Afghanistan · Asia · Post-1945 battles