Operation Kaika
| Operation Kaika | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Part of the War in Afghanistan (2001–2021) | |||||||
| |||||||
| Belligerents | |||||||
|
Coalition: United States Islamic Republic of Afghanistan | Taliban | ||||||
| Commanders and leaders | |||||||
| Captain Sheffield F. Ford III | Unknown | ||||||
| Strength | |||||||
|
17 48 |
8 insurgents (AWD) 200 insurgents (US Mil.) | ||||||
| Casualties and losses | |||||||
|
2 killed 3 killed | 120 killed | ||||||
Operation Kaika was a joint operation between American Special Forces and Afghan National Army soldiers, to establish a control base as part of the larger Operation Mountain Thrust, and clear Taliban fighters from three villages about 12 miles southwest of Kandahar, Afghanistan in June 2006.
The battle took an unexpected twist when Afghan forces "laid siege" to the American-supported troops, "convinced they had the Americans cornered", the militants spearheaded three large assaults over the course of three days. It became "one of the most sustained battles" of the war.