| Conflict: | Operation Septentrion |
| Partof: | the War in Afghanistan |
| Date: | December 16–18, 2009 |
| Place: | Uzbin Valley, Afghanistan |
| Combatant1: | International Security Assistance Force |
| Commander1: | Lieutenant-Colonel Hervé Wallerand |
| Commander2: | Unknown |
| Units1: | French Army United States Special Forces Afghan National Army (ANA) |
| Strength1: | 750 - 800 (French Army) 200 (United States Special Forces) (Afghan National Army) |
| Strength2: | Unknown |
Operation Septentrion was a 36-hour military operation of the International Security Assistance Force (ISAF), a NATO-led security mission, that took place December 16–18, 2009, in the Uzbin Valley of eastern Afghanistan.[1] [2] [3]
A part of the War in Afghanistan, it involved a force of 1,100 troops, including 750 to 800 French troops, 200 United States Special Forces and Afghan National Army (ANA) soldiers.[1]
Sixteen months before the operation, the Uzbin Valley ambush, on August 18, 2008, by the Taliban in the area of Surobi, Afghanistan, had killed ten French soldiers and wounded twenty-one.[2]
The operation's purpose was "reaffirming the sovereignty of Afghan security forces in the north of the Uzbeen Valley", according to a French military spokesperson,[4] as well as to plant the Afghan flag in what was called a key strategic village.[5] [3] (While 75 percent of the Uzbin Valley had been under ISAF control, the rest of the valley had been under the control of the Taliban.)[3]
During more than 90 minutes of combat,[5] several US soldiers were wounded,[6] including three serious injuries.[4] The Taliban fighters attacked with rocket-propelled grenades, mortars and heavy machine gun fire; for the coalition forces, the French troops used shells, backed up by French Tigre and US Apache helicopters[5] and fighter jets.[4] At least one Taliban fighter was killed and three were injured, according to Lieutenant-Colonel Hervé Wallerand, who led the operation.[3] [4] [7]
The French employed what was called the "Mikado strategy" (la stratégie du Mikado), after the game Mikado (known in North America as "pick-up sticks"),[1] because of the need to plan every move carefully with constant awareness that one wrong step could risk everything being lost.[8] In particular, the Mikado strategy emphasizes consulting with local inhabitants in a shura[1] (or consultation) to minimize the risk of local civilians conspiring against the ANA and ISAF forces.[9] For this reason the operation was preceded by "weeks of negotiations with local villagers", according to the BBC News.[2]
In July 2011, the Croix de la Valeur Militaire ("cross of military valour"), a French military decoration, was presented to five Americans – Cpt. Thomas Harper, Master Sgt. David Nuemer, Sgt. 1st Class Ryan Ahern, Staff Sgt. Casey Roberts and Sgt. Ryan Meister – for their service during the operation.[10] [11]