SBS Led Kabul Counter Attack
18.04.2012
On Tuesday it was reported here that British Special Forces may have played a role in a security operation in Kabul to flush out Taliban insurgents from buildings taken over during a coordinated attack in the Afghan capital. Initial reports suggested that NATO special forces, including Norwegian and British, had played a limited role in the operation.
Sky News has now reported (1) that British Special Forces, specifically members of the Special Boat Service (SBS), led the operation, claiming that they donned Afghan military uniforms in order to blend in with Afghan forces.
NATO officials were keen to present the security operation in Kabul as a strictly Afghani effort but this version of events has gradually unravelled due to the reports of NATO special forces involvement as well as footage of U.S. helicopter gunships being used to engage the insurgents.
There is also evidence that the SBS employed specially-trained dogs during the operation. Navy SEALs, including DEVGRU (SEAL Team 6) have reportedly used attack dogs to flush out insurgents from buildings and to sniff out explosives. At least one dog was used on the raid that killed Osama Bin Laden last year. A 2008 news report (2) stated that a number of German Shepherds had been trained to operate with British special forces. It would appear that one of the dogs used in the Kabul operation was injured.
more info, further reading:
- 1: UK Troops Crucial In Ending Kabul Attack
(sky news report)
- 2: Parachutes for the 'dogs of war'
(bbc news report)
