[Type the author name] United States Army

6/1/2012

Taliban Attack on Camp Bastion: 14 September 2012

OCT 2012

TRADOC G-2 Intelligence Support Activity (TRISA)

Complex Operational Environment and Threat Integration Directorate (CTID)

https://www.us.army.mil/suite/files/11318389https://www.us.army.mil/suite/files/11318389

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Purpose

To inform the Army training community of the insurgent attack that took place at Camp Bastion, Helmand Province, Afghanistan, on 14 September 2012.

To examine the insurgents’ tactics, techniques, and procedures (TTP) used to carry out the assault.

To determine if the attack could actually be called an insider attack, also known as a green-on-blue attack.

Executive Summary

While some media reports call this raid a green-on-blue attack, this is not the case. The insurgents impersonated U.S. Soldiers, NOT Afghan National Security Force (ANSF) personnel, and the attack was carried out as a normal military raid.

The insurgents attacked in three 5-person teams and appeared to be well trained, well rehearsed, and very motivated.

Two U.S. Marines were killed in the action, including a Marine Squadron Commander, along with nine casualties from at least two countries.

ISAF personnel killed or captured all 15 assailants.

The insurgents successfully destroyed six Marine Harrier jets, damaged two additional planes, wiped out three aircraft refueling stations, and torched several temporary aircraft shelters.

Cover photo: USMC Harrier jets lined up one next to another on the tarmac at Camp Bastion, Helmand Province, Afghanistan

http://www.3maw.usmc.mil/external/3dmaw/news/news_2011_01_19.jsp

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Maps

Camp Bastion’s location in Afghanistan Camp Bastion’s location in Helmand Province

More detailed map of Camp Bastion and Helmand Province

https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/af.htmlhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Afghanistanhttp://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:AFGH_HELM_SOTS-01_lashkar_gah_crop.png

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Introduction

On Friday night, 14 September 2012, insurgents dressed in U.S. military uniforms breached the outside wall of Camp Bastion in Helmand Province, and used hand-held explosives to attack the USMC Harrier jets parked on the tarmac and tertiary equipment nearby. Marines and other military personnel from the multi-national base responded to the attack and killed or captured all of the assailants.

Before the International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) personnel regained control of the situation via a 2 ½ hour firefight, the insurgents managed to destroy six USMC Harrier jets and heavily damage two more. In addition, the insurgents badly damaged three refueling stations, set fire to three to six (sources vary) soft-skin aircraft hangers, and razed a maintenance tent located near the tarmac.

USMC Guard Post at Camp Leatherneck, the USMC section of Camp Bastion (photo by SGT Sheila Brooks, USMC)

http://www.defense.gov/photos/newsphoto.aspx?newsphotoid=15460

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Map of the Attack

Camp Bastion Attack Schematic

Camp Bastion

Camp Bastion is one of the largest ISAF military bases in Afghanistan. It consists of approximately 20 square miles with about 28,000 Soldiers, civilians, and contractors located inside the facility. The base houses a combination of U.S., British, Danish, and Estonian personnel. The Americans are primarily Marines living at Camp Leatherneck, a sub-base located inside Camp Bastion. Most military personnel live in tents. The camp is like a medium-sized city with a field hospital and several gyms, and even a bottling plant that produces over 15,000 gallons of drinking water a day.

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Runways In 2006, the only airstrip at Camp Bastion was just 300 feet long, but the camp now operates two runways of 11,481 feet and 7,707 feet. The longer runway can land almost any type of military aircraft to include the C-17 Globemaster. Over 600 flights a day, fixed and rotary wing, take off or land at Camp Bastion.

Helicopter Base Northwest of the runways and very close to them is a designated helicopter area where helicopters can not only take off and land, but where at least 28 helicopters in a 7 X 4 configuration can park. The Royal Air Force (RAF) operates Chinook and Merlin helicopters at Camp Bastion while the U.S. military operates Chinooks, Blackhawks, Apaches, and until recently the Sea Stallions shown in the photo below. The USMC also operates Ospreys that can take off and land vertically.

USMC CH-53s lined up side-by-side on tarmac at Camp Bastion similar to the way other helicopters were lined up at the time of the attack

Camp Leatherneck Most U.S. Marines live in a sub-base composed of approximately 1,600 acres located on the west side of Camp Bastion, almost exactly opposite from where the insurgents penetrated Camp Bastion’s perimeter. At the time of the attack, most of the Marines belonged to the 2nd Marine Expeditionary Brigade and the 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing.

Security ISAF leaders chose the site for Camp Bastion due to its location with a long distance line of sight in any direction. The ISAF then added three additional rings of security. The outer ring consists

http://www.3maw.usmc.mil/external/3dmaw-fwd/photos/photos.jsp

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of a 30-foot high fence topped with 6-foot high coils of concertina wire. The inner ring, also called the inner concrete blast wall, is also 30 feet high and stretches for more than 24 miles in circumference with watch towers and search lights manned by armed Soldiers. In between these two fences lies a layer of razor wire six feet in height. Camp Bastion also uses a combination of radar, cameras, and motion sensors to detect movement on the ground and in the air up to 20 miles away from the base.

The Attack

The attack was very organized from the start. The unarmed insurgents wearing local clothing passed through several checkpoints in pick-up trucks. Somewhere near Camp Bastion, the insurgents found a cache of U.S. uniforms, explosives, small arms, and rocket propelled grenade (RPG) launchers. The insurgents then climbed back into their vehicles and stealthily made their way to Camp Bastion’s exterior fence on the east side of the compound through the efficient use of wadis – dry river beds that run through the desert terrain.

The fifteen insurgents dressed in an ill-fitted mishmash of various American military uniforms and divided into three 5-person teams to execute a well planned and rehearsed suicide attack on Camp Bastion. The insurgents arrived at the outside fence at approximately 2215 hours and somehow avoided detection by any electronic device or human guard. Many of the insurgents wore suicide vests, carried explosives, and carried either a light machine gun or RPG. In several cases, the insurgents often could only be identified as imposters by their bearded faces and the tennis shoes on their feet instead of boots.

The insurgents chose one of the most unsecured areas of the base that was also as far away as possible from where most personnel slept. While some analysts speculated that the insurgents may have received inside help to choose their entry location, there is no evidence to support that claim at this time. According to reports, one of the attackers probably used his suicide vest to create a five-foot hole in the outer wall. Open sources do not state how the assailants penetrated the second and third barriers to reach the runway area.

After reaching the parked Harrier jets, the three teams of insurgents began to systematically destroy the USMC aircraft with RPGs and possibly other explosive devices. After initially targeting the lined-up planes, the insurgents changed their focus to the refueling stations and the temporary aircraft shelters along the runway. Some reports indicated that the attackers may have also received mortar support during the attack.

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The ISAF Response

ISAF personnel responding to the insurgent attack included the British 5 RAF (Royal Air Force) Force Protection Wing of the 51 Squadron and U.S. Marines, both stationed on Camp Bastion. The ISAF response force isolated the attackers, so the insurgents could not move beyond the runway area. Over the next 2 ½ hours (some other reports state the time ranged from 4 ½ to 5 hours), the insurgents and ISAF personnel exchanged small arms fire until the coalition forces captured one of the attackers and killed the remainder. Two Marines were killed in the firefight including the USMC aviation squadron commander. Nine other ISAF personnel suffered wounds, including one civilian contractor. Initial reports indicated that there were 19 attackers, but the number was later revised to only 15 – 14 dead and one captured after daylight, when ISAF forces could better assess the situation. Some of the insurgents died by ISAF gunfire, but others possibly died when the attackers detonated their suicide vests. Armed American helicopters killed the three insurgents who refused to give up and took refuge behind a concrete blast wall.

Post-Attack Results

ISAF Casualties

2 U.S. Marines dead

8 other ISAF Soldiers slightly injured, including several British airmen

1 civilian contractor wounded

Insurgent Casualties

14 dead

1 wounded and captured by ISAF personnel

Major ISAF Equipment Losses

6 USMC Harrier jets destroyed

2 USMC Harrier jets heavily damaged

3 fueling stations heavily damaged/destroyed

3-6 soft aircraft shelters damaged/destroyed

1 maintenance tent damaged

Security fence damaged Note: at $30 million for each Harrier, this was significant financial loss

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Taliban Reaction

Claimed the attack was in retaliation for the anti-Muslim video that initially debuted in Hollywood on 23 June 2012 that attracted less than ten viewers, but gained much notice when it was uploaded to the Internet in early September.

Claimed that they attacked Camp Bastion because Prince Harry of Great Britain was stationed there as an Apache helicopter pilot.

The Taliban released a video that supposedly demonstrated the attackers in their training. The video shows one insurgent taking over a minute to cut through a chain-link fence with dull wire cutters so that the insurgents could pass through standing up. None of the insurgents depicted in the training video were wearing anything other than fatigues, and less than a handful carried weapons. The briefing supposedly showed the leader using a white board map with Camp Bastion on it, but the perimeter outline does not appear to match the section of the fence through which the insurgents gained entry to the base.

ISAF Reaction and Investigation Results

ISAF stated that despite the damage, there would be no impact on ground or air operations at Camp Bastion. Within hours of the attack, the Camp Bastion runways became operational once again.

At $23 to $30 million for each Harrier jet, the damage occurred to the equipment exceeded $300 million.

Two replacement Harrier jets have already arrived and four additional planes will arrive in the near future.

The USMC transported the two Harrier jets not destroyed in the attack back to the United States for extensive repairs.

The Taliban may have conducted surveillance on Camp Bastion’s eastern side as they posed as farmers working in a nearby corn plantation.

The Taliban may have also received inside information about a “blind spot” in the base’s security. An Australian general later stated that it did not appear that the attackers received any inside help.

The British stated that Prince Harry was never in danger, was over a mile from the firefight, and was taken to a safe place as a precaution.

On 18 September 2012, ANA and ISAF members arrested one of the Taliban leaders behind the attack and two of his underlings.

http://www.videocounty.com/videos/video-shows-taliban-preparations-for-nato-base-attack/

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Analyst Assessment

Despite several media sources calling this insurgent raid an insider (green-on-blue) attack, this is not the case. The insurgents initially dressed in local garb to make it through the checkpoints, not in Afghan National Security Force (ANSF) uniforms. While the insurgents did wear U.S. uniforms when they made their attacks, it was not as a means to impersonate American Soldiers but most likely to confuse any ISAF responders during the firefight.

The insurgents relied on a combination of excellent reconnaissance, good planning, rehearsals, and fanaticism to carry out the attack. First, the insurgents carried out the raid in one of the weakest spots in the perimeter. Second, the spot chosen was as far away from any sleeping quarters as possible, so it would take longer for ISAF forces to react. Third, the insurgents not only avoided all the electronic surveillance equipment possessed by Camp Bastion, but were also not spotted by any of the guards on the towers. Lastly, almost all of the insurgents were willing to die for the cause, as only one Taliban member survived the ISAF response to the attack by eventually surrendering. To breach the outer wall, one insurgent probably detonated his suicide vest to put the hole in the wall so the follow-on forces could reach the airplanes on the tarmac. Other insurgents, when finally cornered, supposedly blew themselves up with their suicide vets rather than become prisoners.

Training Implications

No static facility is ever totally secure, especially for an attacker who is willing to die in their attack.

Good reconnaissance, detailed planning, and extensive rehearsals increase the likelihood of the success of an insurgent attack.

The insurgents do not obey the Law of Land Warfare or other international treaties, as demonstrated by their use of American uniforms in the attack.

Just because an insurgent is wearing a uniform, it does not always mean that the assault is an insider attack.

The enemy will take advantage of the failure of electronic surveillance devices or human security lapses.

References ____. “2 Marines killed in attack on air base in southern Afghanistan.” AP Via Chicago Sun-Times. 14 September

2012 (accessed 17 September 2012).

http://www.suntimes.com/news/nation/15152557-418/2-marines-killed-in-attack-on-air-base-in-southern-afghanistan.html

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Ardolino , Bill and Bill Roggio. “Taliban release video of planning for Camp Bastion assault.” The Long War Journal. 24 September 2012 (accessed 24 September 2012).

____. “Camp Bastion attack ‘aimed at harry’ – Taliban.” 4 News. 15 September 2012 (accessed 17 September 2012).

Beale, Jonathan. “Camp Bastion assault: Two US marines die in ‘Taliban revenge’.” BBC News, 15 September 2012 (accessed 17 September 2012).

Carlson, Derek SGT. “Elements of 26th

MEU Come Ashore in Support of ISAF.” 3d Marine Aircraft Wing. 19 January 2011 (accessed 18 September 2012).

CIA Factbook. “Afghanistan.” 10 September 2012 (accessed 18 September 2012) ____. Camp Bastion Attack. CNN News. Undated (accessed 18 September 2012) Farmer, Ben. “Taliban fighters wore US Army uniforms in attack on Prince Harry’s base.” The Telegraph. 16

September 2012 (accessed 17 September 2012). ____. “ISAF provides additional detail son Camp Bastion attack.” International Security Assistance Force News

Release. 16 September 2012 (accessed 17 September 2012). ____. “Prince Harry in peril: SAS whisked Royal to safety during deadly Taliban attack at Camp Bastion.” The Mirror

News. 17 September 2012 (accessed 18 September 2012). Rayment, Sean. “I’ve been inside Camp Bastion – and it seemed like the safest place on earth.” The Telegraph. 15

September 2012 (accessed 18 September 2012). Rayment, Sean. “Prince Harry targeted in fatal Taliban attack on ‘impregnable’ military base.” The Telegraph. 15

September 2012 (accessed 17 September 2012). Rayment, Sean and Ben Farmer. “British troops help fight off Taliban attack on Afghan military base housing Prince

Harry.” 14 September 2012 (accessed 17 September 2012). Roggio, Bill. “6 Harrier jets destroyed, 2 damaged in Taliban assault on Camp Bastion.” The Long War Journal. 16

September 2012 (accessed 17 September 2012). Rubin, Alissa J. “Audacious Raid on NATO Base Sows Taliban’s Reach.” The New York Times. 16 September 2012

(accessed 17 September 2012). Sommerville, Quentin. “Camp Bastion assault: Details emerge of Taliban attack.” BBC News. 24 September 2012

(accessed 24 September 2012). ____. “Taliban Leader Behind Camp Bastion Attack Arrested.” RTT News. 18 September 2012 (accessed 18

September 2012). ____. “Taliban strike hits 8 US jets.” FirstPost, 17 September 2012 (accessed 21 September 2012). Todd, Brian. “Camp Bastion attack details.” CNN. 17 September 2012 (accessed 24 September 2012). Urquhart, Conal. “At least two US marines killed in attack on Camp Bastion in Afghanistan.” The Guardian. 14

September 2012 (accessed 17 September 2012).

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Information Environment Assessment

http://www.longwarjournal.org/archives/2012/09/taliban_release_vide_4.phphttp://www.channel4.com/news/camp-bastion-attack-aimed-at-harry-talibanhttp://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-19608561http://www.3maw.usmc.mil/external/3dmaw/news/news_2011_01_19.jsphttps://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/af.htmlhttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9Xldd8X_7jAhttp://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/asia/afghanistan/9545986/Taliban-fighters-wore-US-Army-uniforms-in-attack-on-Prince-Harrys-base.htmlhttp://www.isaf.nato.int/article/isaf-releases/isaf-provides-additional-details-on-camp-bastion-attack.htmlhttp://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/asia/afghanistan/9545512/Prince-Harry-targeted-in-fatal-Taliban-attack-on-impregnable-military-base.htmlhttp://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/asia/afghanistan/9545508/Ive-been-inside-Camp-Bastion-and-it-seemed-like-the-safest-place-on-earth.htmlhttp://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/asia/afghanistan/9545512/Prince-Harry-targeted-in-fatal-Taliban-attack-on-impregnable-military-base.htmlhttp://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/asia/afghanistan/9544864/British-troops-help-fight-off-Taliban-attack-on-Afghan-military-base-housing-Prince-Harry.htmlhttp://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/asia/afghanistan/9544864/British-troops-help-fight-off-Taliban-attack-on-Afghan-military-base-housing-Prince-Harry.htmlhttp://www.longwarjournal.org/archives/2012/09/6_harrier_jets_destr.phphttp://www.nytimes.com/2012/09/17/world/asia/green-on-blue-attacks-in-afghanistan-continue.html?pagewanted=allhttp://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-19153734http://www.rttnews.com/1967352/taliban-leader-behind-camp-bastion-attack-arrested.aspx?type=gn&utm_source=google&utm_campaign=sitemaphttp://www.firstpost.com/topic/organization/taliban-camp-bastion-attack-detailsjeffrey-dressler-video-fQmSPdE4OHc-5607-1.htmlhttp://www.cnn.com/video/?/video/bestoftv/2012/09/17/exp-tsr-camp-bastion-attack-details.cnn#/video/bestoftv/2012/09/17/exp-tsr-camp-bastion-attack-details.cnnhttp://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2012/sep/14/two-reported-dead-camp-bastion-attackhttps://www.us.army.mil/suite/files/23968872

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Insider Attack Handbook Update

See also the Red Diamond Newsletter, which contains current articles on a variety of topics useful to both soldiers and civilians ranging from enemy TTP to the latest news on cyberspace developments.

For detailed information on weapons and equipment, see the Worldwide Equipment Guide.

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