I have one question about the Mantoi map.....how close is the Afghanistan-Pakistan border in that map?
This is from India:
http://www.webindia123.com/news/showdetails.asp?id=42901&cat=Asia
Osama not in Pak tribal areas: ISPR
Lahore | July 13, 2004 2:52:16 PM IST
Al Qaeda chief Osama bin Laden is not in the tribal areas of Pakistan as has been rumored, claimed the Director of Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) Brigadier Shah Jahan Ali Khan.
Talking to journalists at a dinner hosted by the ISPR in Multan, Brigadier Khan was quoted by the Daily Times as saying that, "We are unaware about the location of Bin Laden or the Taliban leaders. The speculation that they are hiding in the tribal areas is baseless."
He also said that the Pakistan Army's search operation in WANA would continue till all the foreign elements had been flushed out.
The director said that the Army was taking precautions to avoid damage to civilians.
From Mantoi to Shkin, as the crow flies, is 30.8 km or about 20 miles.
Mantoi's at about 2300m elevation, the ridge just east of there is up around 2450m and the ridge just west of the village is 2540m tall. I'd want to silence any mortars up there before putting people into Mantoi.
The main ridgeline north of Mantoi is 4.5km away, or about 3 miles. There's a north-south spur ridge NW of Mantoi that extends to within 3km. Those are about 3200m high, or about 10,500', near the operational ceiling of most of the heavier lift troop carrier helicopters. At those ranges, 81mm mortars wouldn't be able to reach Mantoi, and even a 4" would be stretching it.
Not sure what equipment the enemy has, assuming Soviet early 1990's era at best, and also not sure of rocket ranges of the type in use by the militants, but I suspect the ridges mentioned so far refer to the lower ones closer to Mantoi and Sangtoi.