Operation Anaconda: The Bloodiest Battle of the Afghan War

Editor's Take

Reconstructing a 2002 battle in the Shah-i-Kot Valley, this film follows the American special forces and CIA officers who moved into the mountains against entrenched fighters. It conveys the confusion and cost of an engagement that did not go as planned, drawing out the lessons the military took from it. The account is detailed and close to the ground, more interested in the experience of the fight than in its place on a larger map.

Operation Anaconda reconstructs one of the bloodiest battles of the Afghan War, fought in the Shah-i-Kot Valley in March 2002. The film follows the US special forces and CIA officers who entered the mountains to confront entrenched enemy fighters. It captures the chaos, courage, and hard lessons of a brutal engagement. Detailed and gripping, it is a powerful account of modern combat. Free to stream in 4K on Dr Documentary.

Courtesy of Documentary on YouTube. Watch on YouTube ↗

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