Operation Warrior Sweep
Paratroopers from the 82nd Airborne Division began searching the mountains and villages of southern Afghanistan 23 July 2003 in Operation Warrior Sweep. They joined 3,000 soldiers from Task Force Nibio from the Italian army and six companies of the newly formed Afghan National Army (ANA). Operation Warrior Sweep was the first combat operation for the ANA.
More than 600 soldiers from three companies of the 82nd's 2nd Battalion, 505th Parachute Infantry Regiment, and one company from the 3rd Battalion, 504th PIR, flew by helicopters into landing zones at altitudes of over 10,000 feet in the Ayubkhel Valley in the southeast part of the country.
The initial objective for the operation was to set up blocking positions to intercept any anti-coalition or anti-government forces that might have been traveling in the valley. The valley was the primary travel route used by the Taliban and al-Qaeda forces during Operation Anaconda. They also searched Afghan homes and caves during their movement, but nothing was found in the first two days.
Intelligence reports that there were al-Qaeda personnel within the valley at a nearby village led to the direction of the task force to intercept them or any military weapons and intelligence. A subsequently search of the village yieled various weapons, ammunition, explosives and other materiel. A team from 82nd Airborne's 307th Engineer Battalion destroyed the ammunition and explosives found by the infantry soldiers.
On 3 August 2003, 2 arms caches were found. They were the largest among 6 found by coalition forces during Operation Warrior Sweep up to that time. Elements from the 82nd Airborne's 307th Engineer Battalion destroyed the caches in place.
Operation Warrior Sweep continued through August 2003 and was concluded in mid-September 2003.
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