A secret night-time covert insertion against the regime in Iraq has gone badly wrong as commandos dropped into wrong area? However, business as usual, when you’re in the killing business.
It was a HALO jump. High-altitude, low opening. Cruising at around 18,000 feet, supplementary oxygen would be involved in the drop, along with night vision goggles.
In the HALO technique, the parachutist opens the parachute at a low altitude after free-falling for a period of time. SAS special forces from the UK, and America’s famed Delta Force did one final check of their parachutes and packs before the drop.
It was go time. The jump — which involves a free-fall at around 120 mph — went as expected, but then … something went terribly wrong?
It’s possible one of the jumpers may have been studying the navigation board strapped to his chest, or maybe it was disorientation, we don’t really know. But we know what happened next.
An SAS commando slammed into a Delta Force compatriot at high speed in the darkness. Plunging to the ground, their lines became entangled, the Daily Mail reported.
There was little time to correct things — the rocky ground of desolate Iraq was looming large. Both hit the ground hard, causing severe injuries to their backs and limbs.
Deep in enemy Iraqi enemy territory, and despite their agony from the crash, the two kept their cool — calmly radioing for help. Minutes later, dozens of heavily armed SAS and Delta Force troops scrambled onto CH-47 Chinook helicopters at a secret base.
Injured, and unable to move, the two commandos endured a nerve wracking wait.
On arrival, the Quick Reaction Force formed a solid perimeter around the injured soldiers — training their weapons on the surrounding hillside for any movement of the Iraqi security forces, called Islamic State insurgents.
The incident happened late last month near Baiji, about 130 miles north of Baghdad. It came as allied forces launched a new offensive against enemy strongholds. The injured pair of commandos required oxygen on the helicopter flight back to their base.
Meanwhile, the crash site was “cleansed” for any allied equipment and their parachutes were recovered. The pair were flown to a US military NATO hospital in Ramstein, Germany for treatment.
An intelligence gathering operation by British and US special forces resumed after the dramatic accident, the Mail reported. Days later, RAF Typhoon jets targeted cave complexes in a mountain range nearby. Bombs destroyed entrances to the enemy positions.
Special Air Service (SAS) are an elite British military force organized and trained for special operations, surveillance, and counter-terrorism, according to Britannica.com.
The SAS recruits from across the UK’s armed forces, though mainly from the army and principally from the Parachute Regiment. Built on the quality of its personnel and its “Who Dares Wins” philosophy, the selection process tests military skills, fitness, endurance, initiative and willpower.
America’s elite Delta Force is primarily a tier-one counter-terrorist unit, specifically directed to kill or capture high value units (HVU) or dismantle enemy positions, Military.com reported.
It remains extremely flexible and can engage in direct action missions, hostage rescues and covert missions working directly with the CIA, as well as high ranking protective services of our senior leaders during visits in war-torn countries.
The highly secretive force, nicknamed “The Unit,” is under operational control of the Joint Special Operations Command (JSOC) in Baghdad.
Asia Times / ABC Flash Point WW III News 2021.
Another failed military mission?
Still hanging around to protect the oil confiscations in Iraq and Syria. The US killing machine never stops now do they??
Until the oil is gone, then they start plundering the food sources?
Sticking their noses in somebody else their asses?