Operation Condor was one of a series of operations in Operation Jacana. Operation Jacana was primarily designed to hunt down and “Clean-up” the remaining Al-Qaida and Taliban insurgents who had survived or escaped during the earlier Operation Anaconda.
On May 17, 2002, Operation Condor was initiated by coalition forces, following an incident in Paktia province the day prior. On May 16, a patrol of Australian SAS faced five hours of gunfire from heavy mortars and machine guns and was pursued by an estimated 20 to 60 suspected Al-Qaeda and Taliban militants. Apache helicopter gunships and an AC-130 gunship responded with airstrikes, resulting in approximately 10 casualties. It was believed that the remaining militants either blended in with the local populace or escaped across the border to Pakistan.
In response, a coalition force of around 1,000 personnel, including 500-800 Royal Marines, was deployed the next day to secure the area. The force, led by the Royal Marines, encircled the Khost-Paktia region, with American, British, and Australian forces establishing blocking positions. The Royal Marines, supported by US attack helicopters and gunships, conducted sweeps at altitudes between 6,000 and 8,000 feet.
On May 17, Brigadier Roger Lane, the senior British commander within the coalition, reported engagement with a substantial force of suspected Al-Qaeda and Taliban fighters in the mountains. However, Lieutenant-Colonel Ben Curry, a spokesman for the British Royal Marines, stated on May 18, “There has been no combat, we have established a forward operating base and are now clearing the area.” Coalition air assets supported ground troops throughout the day, and the area was searched without encountering resistance. Nevertheless, a small quantity of ammunition, including two 120 mm rockets, was discovered.
On May 20, Brigadier Roger Lane, who commanded the Royal Marine force in Afghanistan, was succeeded by Brigadier Jim Dutton. The relationship between Lane and the US military leadership was reportedly strained, especially after US General Tommy Franks learned about the Royal Marines’ Operation from CNN instead of directly from Brig Lane. Lane also clashed with US Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld, predicting that the war in Afghanistan would conclude in a few weeks — a statement Rumsfeld publicly contested. This led to a loss of confidence in Lane among his men and junior commanders, and his tactical decisions were increasingly perceived as desperate attempts for success.