Wikipedia

Baharak Ambush

The Baharak ambush was an incident that occurred on October 21, 2020, when members of the Taliban ambushed an Afghan security forces unit in the small village of Baharak in Takhar province. It was the deadliest attack by the Taliban in October.

Baharak ambush
Part of the War in Afghanistan (2001–2021)

Province where the ambush occurred.
Date21 October 2020
Location
Baharak District, Takhar, Afghanistan
Result Taliban victory
Belligerents
 Islamic Republic of Afghanistan Afghanistan Taliban
Commanders and leaders
Raz Mohammad Doorandish  † Afghanistan Unknown
Units involved
Afghan Army
Afghan Police
Afghanistan Unknown
Strength
Islamic Republic of Afghanistan 60[1]–100 Afghan forces[2] Afghanistan Unknown
Casualties and losses
Islamic Republic of Afghanistan 34–55 killed[3][4][5]
Islamic Republic of Afghanistan 8 wounded
Several Humvees destroyed[6]		 Afghanistan 22 killed[7]

Background

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On April 6, 2020, Taliban fighters mounted an attack on a security post in Baharak District Center but were repelled by Afghan security forces. Two Taliban fighters were killed, one of whom was reported to be a commander. An unspecified number of civilians were also wounded.[8]

Ambush

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At 03:00 AM, an elite Taliban unit armed with night-vision goggles and assault rifles attacked an Afghan security forces unit conducting an operation to clear Taliban fighters from the area.[9][10] The Taliban fighters took up positions in houses,[11][12] leading to several hours of intense fighting. During the fighting, security forces repeatedly called for support but did not receive any.[13] Deputy Police Chief of Takhar, Raz Mohammad Doorandish, was killed.[14][15] Several Humvees were also set ablaze.[16]

Aftermath

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The day after the ambush, an airstrike by the Afghan Air Force targeted a madrasa in the village of Hazara Qurluq, believing Taliban fighters involved in the previous day's attack were hiding there. The strike killed 11 children and their imam, and wounded 18 others.[17][18][19] Afghan government officials denied that children were killed, claiming only Taliban fighters died. The Minister of Defence did not deny that the strike hit a school.[20][21]

References

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  1. ^ https://tolonews.com/afghanistan-167205
  2. ^ KabulNow (2020-10-21). "More than 40 Afghan forces killed in Taliban ambush in Takhar". KabulNow. Retrieved 2024-07-24.
  3. ^ Abed, Fahim; Faizi, Fatima (2020-10-08). "Afghan War Casualty Report: October 2020". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2024-07-25.
  4. ^ "Taliban ambush kills dozens of Afghan forces in northern province". Al Jazeera. Retrieved 2024-07-22.
  5. ^ "GTD Search Results". www.start.umd.edu. Retrieved 2024-07-25.
  6. ^ RFE/RL. "Dozens Of Afghan Security Forces Killed In Taliban Ambush". RadioFreeEurope/RadioLiberty. Retrieved 2024-07-29.
  7. ^ "Taliban kill 47 policemen in northern Afghan province | FDD's Long War Journal". www.longwarjournal.org. Retrieved 2024-07-25.
  8. ^ "Afghanistan: Security forces foil attack in Baharak district (Takhar province) April 6". Afghanistan: Security forces foil attack in Baharak district (Takhar province) April 6 | Crisis24. Retrieved 2024-07-25.
  9. ^ "Elite Taliban Unit Ambush Afghan Forces Killing 34 During Talks". Bloomberg.com. 2020-10-21. Retrieved 2024-07-30.
  10. ^ "Taliban Ambush Kills At Least 25 Afghan Security Personnel". Kashmir Observer. 2020-10-21. Retrieved 2024-07-30.
  11. ^ AFP, Staff Writer With (2020-10-21). "Taliban Ambush Kills at Least 25 Afghan Security Personnel in Takhar". The Defense Post. Retrieved 2024-07-30.
  12. ^ "Taliban ambush kills at least 25 Afghan security personnel | THE DAILY TRIBUNE | KINGDOM OF BAHRAIN". www.newsofbahrain.com. Retrieved 2024-07-30.
  13. ^ RFE/RL. "Dozens Of Afghan Security Forces Killed In Taliban Ambush". RadioFreeEurope/RadioLiberty. Retrieved 2024-07-30.
  14. ^ Abed, Fahim; Faizi, Fatima (2020-10-08). "Afghan War Casualty Report: October 2020". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2024-07-30.
  15. ^ Sajia (2020-10-21). "Taliban Ambush Kills Dozens in Northern Afghanistan The Killid Group". The Killid Group. Retrieved 2024-07-30.
  16. ^ RFE/RL. "Dozens Of Afghan Security Forces Killed In Taliban Ambush". RadioFreeEurope/RadioLiberty. Retrieved 2024-07-30.
  17. ^ National, The. "12 killed following an air strike in Takhar, Afghanistan". The National. Retrieved 2024-07-25.
  18. ^ "Taliban Kills at Least 23 Afghan Soldiers in Latest Attacks". Voice of America. 2020-10-23. Retrieved 2024-07-29.
  19. ^ "Airstrike Kills 12 Children in Northeastern Afghanistan". Voice of America. 2020-10-22. Retrieved 2024-07-30.
  20. ^ "Afghanistan conflict: 'Children among dead' in air strike on school". 2020-10-22. Retrieved 2024-07-25.
  21. ^ Abed, Fahim; Faizi, Fatima (2020-10-08). "Afghan War Casualty Report: October 2020". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2024-07-25.
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