Janikhel offensive

Not to be confused with Janikhel protest.

Janikhel offensive
Part of the War in Afghanistan (2001–present), Taliban insurgency, Operation Omari

Janikhel District (cyan) within the Paktia Province.
Date10 August[4] – 5 September 2016
(3 weeks and 5 days)
Location
Janikhel District, Paktia Province, Afghanistan
Result Afghan government victory
Belligerents

 Afghanistan

Supported by:
 Resolute Support Mission

 Taliban

Supported by:
 Pakistan

Commanders and leaders
Islamic Republic of Afghanistan Abdul Rahman Zurmati[1]
(Janikhel governor)		 Taliban Taliban district chief of Janikhel †[2]
Taliban Hafiz Rashid †[5]
(Pakistani Taliban commander)
Strength

Local garrison

  • 90–150 soldiers and policemen[1]
  • c. 100 militiamen[1]
Unknown number of soldiers during the counter-attack		 1,200[1] (government claim)
Casualties and losses
27–30 soldiers and policemen killed, many wounded[1][3] (government claim)
48 killed[6] (Taliban claim)		 130[1]–320[7][2] killed (government claim)

The Janikhel offensive was launched by the Taliban and the Haqqani network in early August 2016 to conquer the Janikhel District within the contested Paktia Province from government forces. Due to the district's geographic location, it is of great strategic and tactical value to any force that controls it.[1] After being besieged by insurgents for weeks and not receiving any outside help, the local government forces retreated from the district on 27 August.[1] Even though the district was retaken by the government on 5 September,[8] the fact that the district had been captured by the Taliban in the first place was widely considered a heavy blow for the government, which faced increasing insecurity and loss of territory since the ISAF retreat in 2014.[3][1][7][6]

  1. ^ a b c d e f g h i j Mujib Mashal (27 August 2016). "Taliban Overrun Afghan Border District, Opening a New Front". New York Times. Retrieved 10 September 2016.
  2. ^ a b c "US Air Strikes Kill Four Haqqani Commanders in Afghanistan". Reuters. 31 August 2016. Retrieved 20 November 2016.
  3. ^ a b c Shawn Snow (29 August 2016). "Strategic District in Paktia, Afghanistan Falls to the Taliban". The Diplomat. Retrieved 10 September 2016.
  4. ^ "Paktia's Janikhel District On Verge Of Collapse: Officials". TOLONews. 10 August 2016. Retrieved 10 September 2016.
  5. ^ "Taliban overrun Paktia's Janikhel district in eastern Afghanistan". The Pashtun Times. 27 August 2016. Retrieved 20 November 2016.
  6. ^ a b Bill Roggio (27 August 2016). "Taliban storms district in eastern Afghanistan". The Long War Journal. Retrieved 14 September 2016.
  7. ^ a b "Taliban fighters overrun district in eastern Afghanistan". Reuters. 27 August 2016. Archived from the original on 28 August 2016. Retrieved 16 September 2016.
  8. ^ Samihullah Paiwand (5 September 2016). "Afghan forces retake strategic eastern district from Taliban". Reuters. Retrieved 10 September 2016.