U.S. troops launched a fearsome barrage of artillery and rockets yesterday into a mountainous terrorist stronghold in eastern Afghanistan where they had suffered their deadliest combat loss more than a year ago. Despite high casualties since the U.S.-led invasion of Afghanistan in late 2001 and tough military action to root them out, insurgents still pose as deadly a threat as ever to the scores of troops deployed near the Pakistan border.
The barrage was aimed at locations about three miles deep into the Korangal Valley, where al-Qaeda and Taliban fighters have set off roadside bombs and staged ambushes targeting U.S. and Afghan forces operating in the region. The Korangal Valley was the scene of a June 28, 2005, ambush on four Navy SEALs, three of whom were killed. The fourth was rescued days later. A helicopter sent to find the SEALs crashed in the valley on that day after being hit by a rocket-propelled grenade, killing 16 American troops in the deadliest single attack on the U.S. military since the war began here in 2001.
In Korangal Valley, U.S. troops are hunting the Korangali tribe, which is believed to be linked to the Taliban and al-Qaeda and has been sidelined by other area tribes for its militant activities, the military said. The echo of cannon fire rumbled through the valley overnight and during the day Wednesday as howitzers fired round after round of 155mm artillery shells toward insurgent positions. Tracer fire lit up the nighttime sky, and Apache helicopters fired rockets into hilltop positions.
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