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The First and Second Battles of Kakarak (16 March – 12 April 2009) were fought near the village of Kakarak in the West Dorafshan district of Orūzgān Province, in southern Afghanistan. The fighting took place between Australian forces from the 1st Mentoring and Reconstruction Task Force (MRTF-1) and Taliban fighters, with the area considered to be one of the last Taliban outposts in the area. During the first action on the morning of 16 March a six-man Australian Operational Mentoring and Liaison Team (OMLT) operating with Afghan National Army (ANA) troops was contacted by a numerically superior Taliban force near the village. In the ensuing battle one Australian was killed before close air support from Dutch AH-64D Apache helicopter gunships and US aircraft allowed them to withdraw after inflicting heavy casualties on the Taliban insurgents.
A month later, on 12 April, an Australian platoon was attacked by a large Taliban force near Kakarak during a combined Australian and Afghan offensive known as Operation Shak Hawel. Outnumbered, the Australians were initially forced to withdraw into a nearby compound, returning fire with small-arms and grenade launchers, before cavalry in an overwatch position decisively engaged the Taliban force, allowing the Australians to regain the initiative. Australian Special Forces moved to establish a blocking position and engaged the Taliban from the rear, while close air support was called in, inflicting heavy casualties on the insurgents and forcing them to withdraw following two hours of fighting. That evening further airstrikes destroyed a compound being used by the insurgents. Although the battle witnessed some of the heaviest and most sustained fighting experienced by conventional Australian forces since the Vietnam War, they suffered no casualties. The operation significantly disrupted insurgent activities in the area.
2009年初頭までに、タリンコットの北約12キロメートル（7.5マイル）に位置するウルズガン州西ドラフシャン地区のカカラク地域は、この地域に残る最後のタリバン拠点の1つとなっていた。シェーン・ガブリエル中佐の指揮下にあるオーストラリア第7大隊、ロイヤル・オーストラリア連隊を拠点とする諸兵科連合戦闘群であるオーストラリア第1メンタリング・復興タスクフォース（MRTF-1）は、オランダ主導のタスクフォース・ウルズガンの一部であり、この地域に駐屯する第205軍団第4旅団のアフガニスタン国軍（ANA）部隊の指導を担当していた。カカラクの東3.5キロメートル（2.2マイル）に位置し、ドラシャン川を見下ろすチョラ渓谷のパトロール基地ブマンから活動していたMRTF-1の戦闘チームタスクは、この地域のオーストラリア軍主力部隊であり、第4旅団第2カンダクのANA部隊と協力していた。 [ 1 ]この地域では、2009年1月4日にオーストラリア軍の指導を受けたANAパトロール隊とタリバン反乱軍との戦闘が目撃されていたが、その後数ヶ月で、この町はさらに2つの重要な戦闘の舞台となった。[ 2 ] [注1 ]
2009年3月16日、オーストラリア国軍（ANA）と共同で活動していた作戦指導連絡チーム（OMLT）のオーストラリア人パトロール隊6名が、午前9時30分にカカラク村付近でタリバン戦闘員20名と交戦した。 [ 3 ] [ 4 ]ジェイコブ・クラインマン中尉の指揮の下、数で劣るオーストラリア人パトロール隊は反撃したが、その前に小火器による銃撃で分隊長の1名が頭部に重傷を負った。その後、オーストラリア軍は拠点を確保し、側面攻撃を仕掛けてきたタリバン部隊を制圧した。その間、パトロール隊の衛生兵は激しい銃撃の中、 50メートル（55ヤード）の開けた場所を横切り、負傷した兵士に応急処置を施し、比較的安全な地域へ避難させた。 10時20分、オランダ軍のAH-64Dアパッチ攻撃ヘリコプター2機が空中火力支援のために現場に到着し、オーストラリア軍とアフガニスタン軍が交戦を中断できるようにした。一方、負傷者の後送は、撤退中に米軍のUH-60ブラックホークヘリコプターの銃撃を受けながら行われた。 [ 3 ]負傷したオーストラリア兵は、さらなる緊急治療を受けたにもかかわらず、その後傷がもとで死亡した。[ 5 ] [ 6 ]
Meanwhile, another Australian patrol from MRTF-1 was nearby providing security for the OMLT, and they were also engaged with small-arms and rocket-propelled grenades (RPGs) by another Taliban force of up to 40 fighters. Dutch helicopters and US aircraft continued to provide close air support to the Australians, and following heavy fighting the Taliban were forced to withdraw after suffering heavy casualties. After marrying-up the two Australian force elements returned to their Patrol Base Buman, which was completed by 12:01.[3] However Australian Special Forces from the Special Operations Task Group (SOTG)—then based on 2 Squadron, Special Air Service Regiment—subsequently established blocking positions to prevent the Taliban withdrawal, and they later contacted a group of ten insurgents, killing a number of them in the ensuing fighting.[3] For his leadership Kleinman was later awarded the Distinguished Service Medal, while Lance Corporal Giancarlos Taraborrelli and Private David Cox were both awarded the Medal for Gallantry.[7]
Following the earlier Australian operations in the area, key Taliban leaders and a number of fighters were believed to have moved south along the banks of the Dorafshan River and Gabriel subsequently tasked Combat Team Tusk with clearing the East Dorafshan in preparation for further operations west of the river. Australian Special Forces from SOTG were also operating in the area, conducting disruption operations in the West Dorasfshan area.[8] Between 3–15 April the Australians conducted Operation Shak Hawel (or Mysterious Area) in the fertile green-zone around Patrol Base Buman, in order to target the Taliban stronghold. More than 200 Australians were involved—nearly half the battle group—including a combined arms force element with infantry, cavalry and engineers, and an ANA battalion from the 2nd Kandak, 4th ANA Brigade.[1] Throughout the offensive, Australian and Afghan troops were engaged in numerous fire-fights as they conducted intensive patrolling and cordon and search operations to restrict insurgent freedom of movement throughout the area of operations.[9] However, during the biggest battle, dozens of Taliban fighters were killed as they attempted to ambush an Australian force operating in the fertile green belt.[1]
4月12日朝、オーストラリア軍OMLTの指導部隊を支援して作戦行動中、アシュリー・ジャッド中尉指揮下のタスク戦闘チームの第2小隊（40名）は、午前6時20分頃、近くの施設で即席爆発装置（IED）設置チームを奇襲して交戦した後、大規模なタリバン部隊と交戦した。 [ 10 ]小火器とRPGによる攻撃を受けて施設内に撤退を余儀なくされた数で劣るオーストラリア軍は、その後積極的に反撃し、歩兵は小火器と40mm グレネードランチャーで応戦し、監視位置にあった騎兵のASLAVガンカーは、川向こうの反乱軍を25mmチェーンガンで決定的に攻撃した。一方、西側のオーストラリア特殊部隊も効果的な阻止部隊として、タリバン部隊の後方から攻撃した。[ 8 ]
主導権を取り戻した第1小隊は、反乱軍の増援を遮断しようと北へ押し出された。戦闘が収まると、第2小隊はデッドグラウンドを占拠する反乱軍によるRPGの嫌がらせを受け続けた。オーストラリア軍は84mmカール・グスタフロケットランチャーによる空中炸裂射撃で応戦したが、これは部分的にしか効果がなかった。[ 8 ] 2時間の激しい戦闘の後、オーストラリア軍がタリバンを大きな犠牲者を出して撤退させたため、オランダのAH-64Dアパッチと米軍機がデッドグラウンドの反乱軍を制圧するために呼ばれた。[ 10 ]しかし、反乱軍が施設を迫撃砲で攻撃する準備をしていると考えられたため、オーストラリア軍は監視位置まで後退し、反乱軍が使用していた別の施設への空爆を要請した。[ 8 ]オーストラリア特殊部隊はその後、戦闘地域に戻って戦場掃討作戦を実施し、ASLAVの援護の下、残存する反乱分子を無力化してから、以前に攻撃を受けた施設を確保した。その後、大量の107mmロケット弾と小火器、そしてトンネルシステムが発見された。23時の2回目の空爆で施設の破壊が完了した。[ 8 ]
The following day the local civilians were observed collecting the dead insurgents in order to bury them in accordance with Islamic custom. Four insurgents were confirmed killed,[10] while total Taliban losses during the fighting were believed to have numbered at least 20 killed and 20 wounded, including a number of key commanders. There were no Australian casualties, and despite the intensity of the fighting no civilians were believed to have been injured.[8] The battle witnessed some of the heaviest and most sustained fighting experienced by conventional Australian forces since the Vietnam War, with as many as 60–100 insurgents thought to have been involved.[8][Note 2]
The operation ended in a decisive victory for the Australians, significantly disrupting insurgent activities in the area with the subsequent clearance of the West Dorafshan three weeks later being largely uneventful as a result, while rocket attacks against Forward Operating Base Ripley in Tarin Kowt also ceased for the next eight months. Later, the construction of a patrol base nearby further extended ANA influence over the area.[8] Meanwhile, a senior insurgent commander, Mullah Noorullah, who was believed to have been involved in the fighting on 12 April, was killed in early May by Australian Special Forces in a joint operation after he and another insurgent were tracked moving into a tunnel system.[11]