Battle of Sayyd Alma Kalay

Battle of Sayyd Alma Kalay
Part of the War in Afghanistan and Afghan Civil War
Date 4 December 2001 Location Sayyd Alma Kalay, Arghandab River, Afghanistan Result Allied victory
Belligerents
United States Eastern Alliance	Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan Taliban
Commanders and leaders
Jason Amerine Hamid Karzai
Strength
300

The Battle of Sayyd Alma Kalay was a battle that took place near the Arghandab River in Afghanistan during the United States invasion of Afghanistan. The Taliban were defeated by the United States and its Afghan allies, setting the stage for the Fall of Kandahar.

Battle

On 3 December 2001, following previous combat at the Battle of Shawali Kowt, as the Afghans scaled to the top of a ridge overlooking the Taliban-controlled town of Sayyd Alma Kalay, they were hit by machine gun fire and RPGs. The Afghans began retreating, so Captain Jason Amerine and his men ran forward and fired down on the enemy. Despite being exposed to intense fire, Sgt. Alan Yoshida, the air-combat controller, advanced toward the hilltop and directed airstrikes that wiped out three Taliban positions. The battle continued on 4 December, and Amerine's team finally drove off the Taliban and took control of the town and bridge while Hamid Karzai's men held the ridge. As combat eased, the leaders from the army's Third Battalion headquarters arrived by helicopter on 5 December to give Amerine and his men a break. For the first time in weeks, they received care packages and letters from home. After this, the Taliban planned to formally surrender Kandahar Province.