When Pakistani troops rescued US soldiers

Today, understanding US & Pakistan relations is a complex matter. One side accuses them of harboring terrorists while the other side accuses them of not being present when they needed them the most. One asks the simplest question, were the Two allies always had a strained relationship or not? And the answer is somewhat more complicated.

Operation cycle — widely acknowledged as one of the world’s largest Spy agency to spy agency relation. True, without Pakistan US had no luck to contain the Soviets in Afghanistan and without US the Pakistanis had no success on containing the expansion of their ‘empire’ towards warm-waters which the Southern part of Pakistan provides. What usually is often forgotten is the Pakistan Army’s help during the critical time when US Troops came under fire while conducting an Operation which was never supposed to go the way, unfortunately, it did.

It all began when US Army Rangers were mobilized to Somalia under the name of Operation Restore Hope. During this time, the Pakistan Army was also present under the banner of UNITAF (Unified Task Force), and later also joined a coalition led by United States for the Operation ‘RESTORE HOPE’.

3 October 1993, US Forces led a surprise attack on the basis of intelligence reports provided to them. The aim was to capture General Farah Aidid, the notorious warlord of the troubled Somalia, and his aide Colonel Omer Jess.

To ensure that the mission is accomplished successfully, an elaborate heliborne and ground force was constituted comprising Army Rangers, Delta Force, gunship helicopters, Little Birds, Black Hawks and infantry.

The operation commenced by a Heliborne force, firing a salvo of anti-tank missiles into the compound, while Delta Force and Rangers roped down from hovering Black Hawks towards the building.

Unfortunately, everything did not go according to the plan. In the heart of Mogadishu, US forces suffered RPG attacks which led to the fall of two Black Hawk helicopters. The ground convoy, was to reach the site to provide intimate infantry support by cordoning off the target area. This…