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Members of a coalition force prepare to be extracted from a CH-47 "Chinook" on a mountainside 7,500 ft above sea level on May 7, 2002 in Tora Bora for Operation Torii. This past December, the Tora Bora region in Afghanistan was the last known site where Osama Bin Laden (OBL) had commanded and fought from. Targets in Tora Bora were then bombed with 2000lb GPS guided Joint Direct Attack Munitions (JDAMÕs) with hopes of taking out OBL and his followers while closing caves.

Operation Torii is a coalition operation consisting of over 400 members from the United States military, Canadian Army, and the Afghanistan Military Forces (AMF), led by Battle Group Commander Lt. Col. Pat Stogan, Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry. The goal of the mission wasto gather intelligence, exploit, and deny entrance to four underground sites, while looking for OBL.

While on the mission, the coalition forces came across 23 graves in the village of Markhanai, population 2000, that were said to be Arab fighters. The Coalition forces led by the U.S. Army Criminal Investigation Division exploited and recovered forensic Evidence for future identification and reference in support of Operation Enduing Freedom.
A CH-47 Chinook drops off members of a coalition force into the Tora Bora region of Afghanistan in support of Operation Torii, and Enduring Freedom. Operation Torii is a coalition operation to gather intelligence in the region. (U.S. Air Force photo by Staff Sgt. Jeremy T. Lock) (Released)