History in Minutes: Battle of Tora Bora

The battle of Tora Bora was a U.S.-led mission in December 2001 during the early part of the War in Afghanistan. The goal was to capture or kill Osama bin Laden, who was believed to be hiding in a mountain area called Tora Bora near the border of Pakistan. The area had a deep network of caves and tunnels used by al-Qaeda fighters. After 9/11, the U.S. launched Operation Enduring Freedom to destroy al-Qaeda and remove the Taliban. By December 2001, bin Laden was believed to be hiding in Tora Bora. Instead of sending a large U.S. ground force, the military relied on Afghan fighters, backed by a small number of U.S. Special Forces, including Army Green Berets, Delta Force, and CIA paramilitary officers. U.S. aircraft bombed the area heavily, using B-52s, AC-One Thirty gunships, F-15s, F-16s, and Navy F/A-18s. The battle lasted from December 3 to 17. Around 200 al-Qaeda fighters were killed, but bin Laden escaped, likely into Pakistan. No U.S. soldiers died in the battle, though some were wounded. CIA officer Mike Spann was killed earlier in a separate uprising, becoming the first American combat death in the war. Several Afghan allies were also killed. The battle weakened al-Qaeda, but failing to catch bin Laden was seen as a major mistake. Many believe more U.S. troops should have been used to block his escape. He remained in hiding until he was killed in Pakistan in 2011.