Taliban Attacks French Troops
Ten French soldiers were killed and 21 were wounded when the Taliban attacked French troops in an ambush in Afghanistan on August 19, 2008. The fighting began on Monday, August 18 and carried on until the next day. The French soldiers were attacked by approximately 100 insurgents in the district of Sarobi, east of Kabul.1
Aside from small detachments of special forces, the French troops were the first soldiers committed to combat operations.2
Three U.S. soldiers were wounded in a separate attack on Camp Salerno in Khost Province, which borders Pakistan. 2008 has become the deadliest year for the United States and their allied forces in Afghanistan since the 2001 U.S. invasion.1
Fast Facts
- French troops had only recently took over the area from American forces1
- The French troops in the area were part of an expanded French deployment in Afghanistan ordered by President Nicolas Sarkozy1
- Afgan officials claimed four of the French soldiers were executed after being captured during the two-day attack2
- The majority of the casualties were from France's 8th parachute regiment2
- The North Atlantic Treaty Organization force in Kabul made the announcement regarding the deaths of the French troops1
- The French have sent approximately 1,000 men to the Isaf force patrolling Kabul since 2002
By The Numbers
- Prior to the attack, 173 foreign soldiers had been killed in Afghanistan in 2008. Of the 173 soldiers killed, 99 were Americans and 74 were from other countries.1
- 2007: 232 soldiers were killed, which was the highest number since the war began in 20011
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