Battle of Qala-i-Jangi

The Battle of Qala-i-Jangi (sometimes also referred to as the "Battle of Mazar-i-Sharif") was a six-day military engagement following an uprising of prisoners-of-war who had been taken into custody by US-led coalition forces on November 25, 2001. The battle took place between November 25 and December 1, 2001, in northern Afghanistan. It followed the intervention by United States-led coalition forces to overthrow the Taliban's Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan, which had been harboring al-Qaeda operatives.

More than 400 foreign fighters surrendered outside Mazar-i-Sharif and were held at Qala-i-Jangi fortress by the Afghan Northern Alliance forces, where they were interrogated by Abdul Rashid Dostum's intelligence officers and Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) personnel hunting al-Qaeda suspects. The prisoners, who had not been searched properly when they surrendered, violently revolted and the ensuing fighting escalated into one of the bloodiest engagements of the conflict. It took Northern Alliance fighters, assisted by British and American special forces and air support, six days to quell the revolt.

All but 86 prisoners were killed as well as a number of Northern Alliance fighters. The only U.S. fatality was the CIA officer Johnny Micheal Spann, the first American to be killed in combat during the 2001 U.S. invasion of Afghanistan. Among the surviving prisoners were two American citizens suspected of fighting with the Taliban: Yaser Esam Hamdi and John Walker Lindh. Five American troops were wounded at Qala-i-Jangi on November 26, 2001, and were awarded the first Purple Hearts of the Afghanistan war. Navy SEALs Master Chief Petty Officer Stephen R. Bass was awarded a Navy Cross and Green Beret Major Mark Mitchell was awarded a Distinguished Service Cross for actions during the battle. The CIA agent, David N. Tyson, was awarded the Distinguished Intelligence Cross and Spann was awarded a posthumous Intelligence Star. SBS members, Captain Jess and Corporal Tony, were awarded the Conspicuous Gallantry Cross.