Operation Panchai Palang, or Panther's Claw, was a British-led military operation of the War in Afghanistan in Helmand Province in southern Afghanistan. It aimed to secure various canal and river crossings to establish a permanent International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) presence in the area. The commander of the operation declared the first stage a success on 27 July 2009.
Welsh Guards engage the Taliban on 27 June 2009 as part of Operation Panther's Claw.
War in Afghanistan (2001–2021)
The War in Afghanistan was an armed conflict from 2001 to 2021. It was the direct response to the September 11 attacks. It began when an international military coalition led by the United States launched an invasion of Afghanistan, declaring Operation Enduring Freedom as part of the earlier-declared war on terror; toppling the Taliban-ruled Islamic Emirate and establishing the Islamic Republic three years later. The Taliban and its allies were expelled from major population centers by the US-led forces, supporting the anti-Taliban Northern Alliance; however Bin Laden relocated to neighboring Pakistan. The conflict officially ended with the 2021 Taliban offensive, which overthrew the Islamic Republic, and re-established the Islamic Emirate. It was the longest war in the military history of the United States, surpassing the length of the Vietnam War (1955–1975) by approximately six months.
Image: U.S. Army firefight in Kunar
Image: F 15E drops 2,000 pound munitions Afghanistan 2009
Image: An Afghan National Army soldier surveys a valley for suspicious activity during an operation in Ghorband district, Parwan province, Afghanistan, Jan. 15, 2014 140115 A CL980 187 (cropped)
Image: Soldiers of Somme Company, 1st Lancs Board a Chinook in Afghanistan During Op Tor Shezada MOD 45151695