Camp Shaheen Attacks (2017)
The Camp Shaheen attacks in 2017 were two significant violent incidents that occurred at a military base near Mazar-i-Sharif, Afghanistan. The first attack took place on April 21, 2017, when Taliban militants assaulted the base, resulting in the deaths of over one hundred Afghan military personnel and civilians. This tragic event highlighted the ongoing security challenges in Afghanistan, particularly from insurgent groups seeking to destabilize the government. The second incident occurred on June 17, 2017, when an Afghan soldier, identified as the assailant, opened fire on US soldiers stationed at the camp, wounding seven but ultimately resulting in no American fatalities. This attack was classified as an "insider attack" rather than being directly linked to Taliban elements.
The incidents prompted significant political repercussions, including the resignation of senior Afghan military officials. At the time, the base remained under Afghan military control, with NATO and US military advisers present. These events occurred against the backdrop of a resurgent Taliban and ongoing debates within the US government regarding its strategy in Afghanistan following increased violence. As of September 2017, investigations into the attacks were underway, reflecting the complex and precarious security situation in the region.
Camp Shaheen Attacks (2017)
Date: April 21 and June 17, 2017
Place: Camp Shaheen military base, near Mazar-i-Sharif, Afghanistan
Summary
The 2017 Camp Shaheen attacks were two violent incidents at the Camp Shaheen military base near Mazar-i-Sharif, Afghanistan. During the first attack, in April 2017, over one hundred Afghan military personnel and others on the base were killed by Taliban fighters. The camp was subject to another attack in June 2017, during which time US military personnel were stationed at the camp. Believed to have been committed by an insider, the second attack wounded seven US soldiers and killed at least one Afghan soldier.
Key Events
- October 2001—US and allied forces begin air strikes in Afghanistan, alleging that the nation was harboring al-Qaeda and other terrorist organizations, initiating the Afghanistan campaign of the US-led war on terror.
- December 2014—North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) withdraws from Afghanistan, ceding control to the transitional government of elected president Ashraf Ghani.
- April 21, 2017—A group of Taliban fighters attack the Camp Shaheen military base, killing over one hundred soldiers in the Afghan National Army’s 209th Corps and other military personnel.
- June 17, 2017—Seven US soldiers are wounded in an attack by an Afghan soldier inside the Camp Shaheen military base.
Status
As of September 2017, the Camp Shaheen military base remains under the control of the Afghan military and houses Afghan soldiers along with North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) and US military advisers. The administration of US president Donald Trump was debating US strategy in Afghanistan in the wake of increased violence from the resurgent Taliban. US officials continued to investigate the wounding of American soldiers. According to media reports, the Afghanistan Ministry of Defense was also conducting a separate investigation of attacks on the base in an effort to identify potential Taliban collaborators.
In-Depth Overview
The Taliban is a militant, fundamentalist Sunni Islamic organization native to Afghanistan and parts of Pakistan. It seeks to establish a conservative government following sharia law under the control of the Pashtun, the nation’s largest ethnic group. The Taliban was in control of Afghanistan from the mid-1990s until 2001, when it was displaced by invading US and NATO forces. The United States alleged that the Taliban had been supporting and harboring the terrorist group al-Qaeda, which was behind the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks.
In December 2014, NATO announced an official end to the war in Afghanistan, handing responsibility for national security to the elected Afghan government under President Ashraf Ghani. However, a contingent of US and NATO forces remained in the country in an advisory role. Since that time, the Taliban and Taliban splinter groups have continued to attack military and civilian targets across Afghanistan in an effort to destabilize the government, which is seen as being under the control of the United States.
On April 21, 2017, a group of ten or more militants attacked the Camp Shaheen military base near the city of Mazar-i-Sharif, Afghanistan. The base, which was occupied by the 209th Corps of the Afghan National Army, had as many as three thousand personnel at the time of the attack. According to reports, the attack occurred in the afternoon, during prayer hours. Insurgents wearing military uniforms drove stolen military vehicles into the camp, passing two security checkpoints before being stopped. At that point, the attackers began shooting, reportedly targeting unarmed people leaving a mosque and a dining hall. Explosives were detonated, with some accounts suggesting the attackers used suicide vests. All of the assailants were eventually killed by Afghan forces.
In the wake of the incident, military representatives reported that over 100, and perhaps as many as 160 or more, soldiers and civilians at the base had been killed. Soon after, alleged Taliban representatives claimed responsibility for the attack. US and Afghan officials suggested it may have specifically been the work of the Haqqani network, an insurgent group considered a faction of the Taliban. Within days of the incident, two leading Afghan military officials, Defense Minister Abdullah Habibi and army chief of staff Qadam Shah Shahim, resigned.
On June 17, 2017, a second attack occurred at Camp Shaheen in which an unidentified individual, later identified as an Afghan soldier, opened fire on US soldiers stationed at the base. Seven soldiers were evacuated for medical treatment, but no Americans were killed in the attack, despite an initial report from 209th Corps spokesperson Abdul Qahar Araam that four US soldiers had been killed. Additionally, press reports indicated that at least one Afghan soldier was killed and another wounded in the incident, though officials did not state whether either was the assailant. According to US officials, the incident was being classified as an “insider attack” and not related to the Taliban or other terrorist groups. Taliban representatives attempted to claim responsibility for the attack but did not provide any evidence to support this assertion.
Key Figures
Abdul Qahar Araam: Afghan army spokesperson who discussed the Camp Shaheen attacks for the press.
Ashraf Ghani: President of Afghanistan.
Abdullah Habibi: Former Afghan defense minister who resigned after the April 2017 attack at Camp Shaheen.
Qadam Shah Shahim: Former Afghan army chief of staff who resigned after the April 2017 Camp Shaheen attack.
Bibliography
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