Insurgents attack Bagram, wound 7 U.S. troops

[unhappycamper]

An Afghan policeman stands guard on a road leading to Bagram Airfield. Insurgents launched a brazen pre-dawn assault May 19 against the air base one day after a suicide bomber struck a U.S. convoy in the capital of Kabul, killing 18 people.


Insurgents attack Bagram, wound 7 U.S. troops
By Rahim Faiez - The Associated Press
Posted : Wednesday May 19, 2010 6:57:08 EDT

KABUL, Afghanistan — Insurgents launched a brazen pre-dawn assault Wednesday against the giant U.S.-run Bagram Airfield, the second Taliban strike at NATO forces in and around the capital in as many days.

At least 10 insurgents were killed and seven U.S. service members wounded in the attack on Bagram, which started at about 3 a.m. with rockets, small arms and grenades fired into the base, said Maj. Virginia McCabe, a spokeswoman for U.S. forces at Bagram.

The gunfire finally subsided around midday, said another spokesman, Master Sgt. Tom Clementson.

"It's been a little while since we've heard any gunfire but we're still maintaining a heightened security posture," he said.

The attack came a one day after a suicide bomber struck a U.S. convoy in the capital of Kabul, killing 18 people. The dead included five American troops and a Canadian, making it the deadliest attack on NATO in the Afghan capital in eight months.



unhappycamper comment: I remember the 122mm rockets coning into the airbase at Chu Lai the night Tet (of '68) started. Since our unit was literally on the wire none of them hit us. The folks at Headquarters on the other hand, weren't quite as lucky. Incoming is some scary shit.

Oh, and were lost that occupation also.

[pinboy3niner]

1. This reminded me of VN, too, in that it was a sustained attack

It's not the first, but it is unusual. And when tactics shift from hit-and-run to sustained attack, it's a good indicator of increased strength.