U.S.: Insurgents knew of Kunar operation

Military suspects insurgents learned of raids in Afghanistan's Kunar province


U.S.: Insurgents knew of Kunar operation
By Drew Brown, Stars and Stripes
Mideast edition, Friday, May 23, 2008

ASADABAD, Afghanistan — Enemy fighters knew that U.S. and Afghan troops were coming in by helicopter to three of the five locations they flew into during a recent combat operation in central Kunar province, a U.S. commander said.

"(Anti-Afghan Force) commanders knew we were coming into the valleys," said Lt. Col. William Ostlund, commander of 2nd Battalion, 503rd Infantry Regiment.

Enemy commanders didn’t know when U.S. and Afghan forces were coming, nor did they know the precise locations of the helicopter landing zones, "but they knew we were coming, and they started to leave" before the operation started, Ostlund said.

The 10-day offensive known as "Rock Penetrator" started about two weeks ago, and concluded earlier this week. The intent was to disrupt enemy command and control, and logistics, in five valleys in central Kunar province and to regain freedom of movement for U.S. and Afghan forces.

Meeting Wednesday with several Afghan officers at Camp Joyce, near Asadabad, Ostlund said the security lapse probably resulted from something overheard by local Afghan workers at one of the U.S. and Afghan bases in the area.


Rest of article at: http://www.stripes.com/article.asp?section=104&article=55016