When the time came to attack the coalition forces, the Taliban knew where the coalition heavy weapons were located as well as where the perimeter was weakest. “Enemy fighters applied the information gathered from probing attacks and immediately inflicted casualties on the COP’s guard force and suppressed COP Keating’s primary means of fire support, its 60mm and 120mm mortars.”(US Army.) By attacking OP Fritsche and the mortar pits, the Taliban had a much easier time breaking through the perimeter around COP Keating. A major point in the attack was the Taliban’s attack on the Afghanistan National Army positions. “The Afghan National Army guards on the scene broke quickly, some fleeing to buildings in the American position.” (Sofmag.) The Afghani desertion led to a gap in the defenses that the Taliban quickly exploited and pushed the American forces back to a secondary perimeter around their headquarters and aid station where they called in airstrikes and mortar fire from OP Fritsche once the outpost had regained control of the mortar pits. After twelve hours of constant fighting, the American forces were able to drive the attackers out of COP Keating and were
When the time came to attack the coalition forces, the Taliban knew where the coalition heavy weapons were located as well as where the perimeter was weakest. “Enemy fighters applied the information gathered from probing attacks and immediately inflicted casualties on the COP’s guard force and suppressed COP Keating’s primary means of fire support, its 60mm and 120mm mortars.”(US Army.) By attacking OP Fritsche and the mortar pits, the Taliban had a much easier time breaking through the perimeter around COP Keating. A major point in the attack was the Taliban’s attack on the Afghanistan National Army positions. “The Afghan National Army guards on the scene broke quickly, some fleeing to buildings in the American position.” (Sofmag.) The Afghani desertion led to a gap in the defenses that the Taliban quickly exploited and pushed the American forces back to a secondary perimeter around their headquarters and aid station where they called in airstrikes and mortar fire from OP Fritsche once the outpost had regained control of the mortar pits. After twelve hours of constant fighting, the American forces were able to drive the attackers out of COP Keating and were