Key Facts
- Duration
- 3 days
- Start date
- 29 May 2009
- Location
- Yatimchay, 6 km south of Musa Qaleh, Helmand
- British unit
- 2nd Battalion Royal Regiment of Fusiliers
- Name meaning
- "Snake wolf" in Pashto
Strategic Narrative Overview
Operation Mar Lewe began in the early hours of 29 May 2009 when Afghan Security Forces and British Army soldiers from the 2nd Battalion Royal Regiment of Fusiliers launched simultaneous assaults on Taliban positions around the village of Yatimchay, approximately 6 kilometres south of Musa Qaleh. The operation lasted three days and was designed to exploit the battalion's experience as a light role infantry unit.
01 / The Origins
By 2009, Helmand Province in southern Afghanistan remained a stronghold of Taliban insurgent activity. ISAF and Afghan Security Forces conducted coordinated operations to disrupt Taliban control over villages in the region. The area around Musa Qaleh had seen persistent insurgent presence, prompting coalition planners to launch targeted strike operations to degrade enemy positions and improve local security conditions.
03 / The Outcome
The operation concluded after three days of combat activity around Yatimchay. No specific outcome, casualty figures, or territorial changes have been publicly detailed in available sources. The operation formed part of the broader ISAF campaign to suppress Taliban activity in Helmand Province during the 2009 surge period in Afghanistan.
Belligerents & Mobilization Analysis
Side A
2 belligerents
Side B
1 belligerent
Kinetic Engagement Axis
Scroll horizontally to view full axis. Events plotted relatively.