Operation Harekate Yolo
Part of theWar in Afghanistan (2001–2021)
Date October–November 2007 Location North-west Afghanistan Result Tactical Coalition victory
Belligerents
Coalition:  Germany  Islamic Republic of Afghanistan  Norway  Italy  Spain  Hungary  Latvia	Taliban
Commanders and leaders
Brig. Gen.D. Warnecke GeneralAli Murat	Unknown
Strength
460 1,300 260	Unknown
Casualties and losses
1 killed (after battle)	59–79 killed

Operation Harekate Yolo (Persian forfront straightening) was a two-part military operation involvingNATO,ISAF andAfghanistan government forces against theTaliban as part of theWar in Afghanistan.

In late October 2007, Regional Command North along with theAfghan National Army and Afghan National Security Forces launched its first major operation against hostile forces in the northern provinces. It was composed of about 2000 coalition troops from Afghanistan, Norway, Germany, Italy, Spain and Hungary; and its purpose was to oust Taliban militants from several locations in theGhowrmach district,Faryab Province, andFaizabad,Badakhshan Province, wherefrom they had operated and caused a number of ANA and coalition casualties since the early summer of 2007. The offensive followed threats of senior Taliban officers to expand the insurgency to the relatively peaceful north.

Operation Harekate Yolo I was launched in late October and was composed of about 160 German paratroopers and 400 Afghan National Army soldiers. Its aim was to identify Taliban hideouts in the Badakhshan province and to drive the militants out of the district.

The second stage of the offensive, Operation Harekate Yolo II, was launched on November 1. As announced by ISAF RC North commanding generalBrig. Gen. D. Warnecke, ISAF forces detained several suspected insurgents on the first day of the operation, accused of having organized several attacks on ISAF troops, including a suicide attack which seriously injured three Germans in October. It was composed of about 900 members of the Afghan National Army, 260Norwegian Army troops from 2nd Battalion/Brig. N andKystjegerkommandoen,^[1] 300 German troops, several dozen Italian troops, and some Hungarian and Spanish troops. Intelligence gathered by reconnaissance planes indicated the presence of about 300 Taliban forces inGhowrmach.

Between November 1, and November 6, Norwegian and German ISAF forces along with Afghan security forces battled Taliban insurgents in the Ghowrmach district, Northwest Afghanistan, in what was described as "active warfare" by theNorwegian Department of Defense.^[2] The insurgents suffered a number of casualties while no casualties were reported forISAF/Afghan National Army force. The exact death toll had not yet been disclosed as of November 9, but according to Norwegian news reports "between 45 and 65 insurgents" were killed in action.^[3] TheGerman Ministry of Defense verified a further 14 hostile fighters killed in action. The fighting erupted on November 3 and intensified through November 6. NATO aircraft providedClose Air Support during the operation, which ended on November 6/7.

During the mission, a Norwegiansniper with the2nd Battalion hit one of the Taliban insurgents from a distance of 1,380 meters on the first shot, using aBarret M82A1.^[4] Another Norwegiansniper team shot and killed a Taliban insurgent from a distance of approximately 2,010 meters, although not a first round hit. Several targets were engaged with theBarrett, some of them almost 3000 meters away.

In the aftermath, a Norwegian soldier was killed in an IED attack inMaimana on November 8.^[5][6]ANA's 209th Corps took over control of the district on the same day.

Subsequent to the battle, a number of soldiers from the Norwegian Military Observer Team Navy (unit made up of soldiers from theKystjegerkommandoen) were awarded the US Army'sCommendation Medal for their efforts in expelling the Taliban from the Ghowrmach district.^[7]

Operation Harekate Yolo was the combat debut of theCV90 armoured vehicle used by the Norwegian Army.^[8]

• Operation Karez

• 2007 in the War in Afghanistan (2001–2021)
• NATO operations in Afghanistan
• Military operations of the War in Afghanistan (2001–2021) involving Germany
• Military operations of the War in Afghanistan (2001–2021) involving Norway
• Military operations of the War in Afghanistan (2001–2021) involving Italy
• Military operations of the War in Afghanistan (2001–2021) involving Spain
• Battles involving Hungary
• Battles of the War in Afghanistan (2001–2021) involving Latvia

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