Posted on 12/25/2007 5:56:24 AM PST by Clive
KANDAHAR AIRFIELD, Afghanistan -- Canadian soldiers joined the renowned Royal Gurkha Rifles Sunday in a battle to eliminate the source of rocket fire that targeted two Kandahar military outposts.
But when the coalition forces showed up, insurgents hiding out at a compound near the Pashmul district shied away from a fight. It's the third joint operation between the Gurkhas -- a highly-praised Nepalese infantry division of the British army -- Canadian soldiers and the Afghan National Army.
Around 6 a.m. on Sunday, coalition forces moved toward an insurgent compound, supported by booming rounds of artillery.
"We completely overwhelmed the position very quickly. My reading is that they [the insurgents] wanted to cut their losses," Major Will Kefford, officer commander of the Gurkhas, told CanWest News Service.
"I am pretty certain that we were being watched by the Taliban throughout the day [after the operation]."
Coalition forces spotted a number of Afghan males leaving the site, which contained a vast weapons cache: Chinese-made rockets, anti-tank mines and equipment to make improvised explosive devices. Several Canadian soldiers told CanWest the intent of the operation was to eliminate a flurry of rocket fire aimed at forward operating bases in the Zhari district.
"The intent was to disrupt the insurgent ability to do that in the area," Mjr. Kefford said.
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Bump
Not the first time the Gurkha’s have been to this AO.
“As I write these last words, my thoughts return to you who were my comrades, the stubborn and indomitable peasants of Nepal. Once more I hear the laughter with which you greeted every hardship. Once more I see you in your bivouacs or about your fires, on forced march or in the trenches, now shivering with wet and cold, now scorched by a pitiless and burning sun. Uncomplaining you endure hunger and thirst and wounds; and at the last your unwavering lines disappear into the smoke and wrath of battle. Bravest of the brave, most generous of the generous, never had country more faithful friends than you”.
-Professor Sir Ralph Turner, MC, who served with the 3rd Queen Alexandra’s Own Gurkha Rifles in the First World War
Good on them - may it spread
Afghans might not take kindly to the Ghurka’s wicked curved sword they carry. They’ve been experts with if for 800 years.
“Shake your head.”
In his book One Crowded Hour, Tim
Bowden describes an incident in Borneo in
1964. Nepalese fighters known as Gurkhas
were asked if they would be willing to jump
from airplanes into combat against the
Indonesians. The Gurkhas didn’t clearly
understand what was involved, but they
bravely said they would do it, asking only
that the plane fly slowly over a swampy area
and no higher than 100 feet. When they
were told that the parachutes would not
have time to open at that height, the
Gurkhas replied, “Oh, you didn’t mention
parachutes before!”
I recall a story I heard from a Korean War vet, The Ghurkas encountered a South Korean Army company and got into a firefight. As they advanced towards each other, the Ghurkas pulled their Khukris and nearly decapitated the entire SK company before they were stopped. Classes were quickly conducted on how to recognize North Korean army from South Korean army.
The taliban may not be the brightest creatures on two legs, but they are wise to avoid going toe-to-toe with the Gurkhas...
Nah, I want them to take these Gurkha on head to head so that they can be made ready for their 70 virgins.
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