Operation Oqab
Part of theWar in Afghanistan (2001–2021)
Date July 18, 2009 – July 28, 2009 Location Kunduz Province,Afghanistan Result Temporary forced displacement of the Taliban forces
Belligerents
Islamic Republic of Afghanistan ISAF: Germany France United States Belgium	Taliban Islamic Jihad Union
Commanders and leaders
General Ali Murat	Maulavi Abdul-Rahman; Abdul-Salam Baryalai; Shamsuddin Shamsullah; Bashir Haqqani; Mulla Abdul-Raziq; Qari Abdul-Wadoud; Inayatullah Zadran
Strength
800soldiers 100police officers 300 advisors :U.S Air Force Total: 1,200	300insurgents
Casualties and losses
26 killed 64 wounded	20 killed (NATO claim) 2 wounded 2 captured

Operation Oqab (Eagle in English,Adler inGerman) was a military operation conducted byISAF andAfghan National Army troops, in July 2009, with the objective to force theTaliban out ofKunduz Province.

Since April 2009, the German forces in northern Afghanistan had been under pressure from the Taliban and theIslamic Jihad Union. Theattack on the German forces after the visit of chancellorAngela Merkel on April 7, 2009, and the following months showed that the Taliban and their allies exerted heavy pressure to try to force the German troops out of Afghanistan, since involvement in the conflict has been controversial in Germany.

The ISAF and Afghan forces began an offensive to reinforce the control and security of Kunduz Province before theAfghan presidential election in August 2009, and reduce pressure on the German forces before theGerman federal election in September. A second focus was to free the routes into Afghanistan fromUzbekistan, since it was planned to change thesupply routes for ISAF to a route from Uzbekistan.

The ISAF planned to change its focus to rebuilding, after the Taliban had left the province.

For the attack, 800 Afghan soldiers and 100 Afghan policemen were placed in the province.^[1] TheBundeswehr prepared itsQuick Reaction Force (QRF), equipped withMarder infantry fighting vehicles,Fuchs andDingo APCs, as well asmortars. The ground troops were supported by theUnited States Air Force (USAF) and itsMQ-1 Predator andFairchild A-10close air support aircraft.^[2]

The first attack on Taliban positions started on the morning of July 19. German forces supported by Marder armoured vehicles and mortars attacked the Taliban.

The following dayCamp Marmal was under attack by rockets, during a counter-attack by the USAF five Taliban were killed.

The Afghan forces reported that they had control of the province on July 23. On July 24 a German patrol came under fire, one vehicle was damaged.^[3]

On July 31, German troops captured Qari Abdul Wadoud, the leader of the Taliban in theImam Sahib District.^[1]

On August 1 it was reported that Taliban forces reconquered the area in theChahar Dara District of southern Kunduz.^[4]

Operation Oqab was the first German ground force offensive since the creation of the Bundeswehr and the first German ground attack sinceWorld War II. The commander of the QRF, Hans-Christoph Grohmann, introduced one of his Officers as "the firstOberleutnant to lead an Infantry Company in to battle since 1945" to the press.^[5]

• NATO operations in Afghanistan
• Military operations of the War in Afghanistan (2001–2021) involving the United States
• Military operations of the War in Afghanistan (2001–2021) involving Germany
• Military operations of the War in Afghanistan (2001–2021) involving Belgium
• 2009 in the War in Afghanistan (2001–2021)
• History of Kunduz Province

• CS1 German-language sources (de)
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