At 22:37 (local time) on the night of 5 August, a platoon of 47 U.S. Timeline Īfter American intelligence services discovered in 2011 that senior Taliban leader Qari Tahir was possibly in Tangi Valley, Wardak province, Afghanistan, local American forces launched a mission to apprehend or kill him. For example, on 8 June 2011 a Boeing CH-47 Chinook helicopter was engaged from five to six locations (i.e., points of origin) with 14 rocket-propelled grenades, forcing the crew to abort the mission. However, the Afghan government forces did not occupy the base, which was seized by the Taliban shortly after the departure of American forces.Īmerican forces continued to carry out operations in the area (mostly via helicopter and using special forces), encountering resistance from Taliban fighters on several occasions. In April 2011, American forces turned over control of Combat Outpost Tangi to Afghan government forces. American, French and Afghan National Police forces carried out a three-day sweep of the area, and the area was then deemed secure. 10th Mountain Division established a base in Tangi Valley after increased Taliban activity in the area. At 30 American military personnel killed, the shootdown of Extortion 17 represents the greatest single-incident loss of American lives in Operation Enduring Freedom – Afghanistan, surpassing the 16 lost in the downing of Turbine 33, a 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment (Airborne) MH-47 helicopter, during Operation Red Wings on 28 June 2005. The resulting crash killed all 38 people on board including 17 US Navy SEALs, two United States Air Force Pararescue, one United States Air Force Combat Control Team member, one pilot and two crewmen of the United States Army Reserve, one pilot and one crewman of the United States Army National Guard, seven members of the Afghan National Security Forces, and one Afghan interpreter, as well as a U.S.

CH-47D Chinook military helicopter operating with the call sign Extortion 17 (pronounced 'one-seven') was shot down while transporting a Quick Reaction Force attempting to reinforce a Joint Special Operations Command unit of the 75th Ranger Regiment in the Tangi Valley in Maidan Wardak province, southwest of Kabul, Afghanistan.

A Boeing CH-47D Chinook helicopter in Bagram, Afghanistan, similar to the one that was shot down

Call sign extortion 17