ORDER OF BATTLE // December 7, 2007
Battle of Musa Qala
Estimated force strength by side, with confidence labels per surviving record.
Forces engaged
2 sides catalogued · combined 6,500 estimated
ISAF
4,500
Medium-confidence figure
Taliban
2,000
Medium-confidence figure
Battle context
The Battle of Musa Qala was a British-led ISAF operation in Helmand Province that resulted in the recapture of Musa Qala from Taliban control. Over three days of intense fighting, a force of approximately 4,500 ISAF and Afghan National Army troops engaged an estimated 2,000 Taliban fighters. The Taliban withdrew into the surrounding mountains on 10 December, and Afghan Army troops formally pushed into the town centre on 12 December. The operation was notable for the prominent role of Afghan National Army forces in the assault, with Afghan troops leading the entry into the town — a symbolic and operational marker of the Afghan state's growing military participation in reclaiming contested districts in Helmand Province.
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