{{short description|Fort in Helmand Province, Afghanistan}} {{Use dmy dates|date=March 2025}} '''Jugroom Fort''' is a complex of fortified buildings south-west of Garmsir in Helmand Province, Afghanistan, on the east bank of the Helmand River. The fort is several centuries old, and in 2007 it was used as a Taliban base.<ref>{{cite book | last=Macy | first=E. | title=Apache | url=https://archive.org/details/apache0000macy | url-access=registration | publisher=HarperCollins | year=2008 | pages=[https://archive.org/details/apache0000macy/page/239 239–240] | isbn=978-0-00-728817-5 }}</ref>

== Operation Glacier == British forces assaulted the fort on 15 January 2007. During the attack, Royal Marine Lance-Corporal Mathew Ford was killed by friendly fire.<ref name="Guardian, 16 Aug 2008" /> After a rescue mission by Apache helicopter gunships, two of the pilots, including author Ed Macy, were awarded the Military Cross and the other two pilots, including Captain Tom O'Malley, the Distinguished Flying Cross.<ref name="Bosleys" /> The action became known as one of those in Operation Herrick of military failure, despite the application of huge firepower and considerable personal bravery.<ref name="Guardian, 17 Jan 2007" /><ref name="Telegraph, 16 Aug 2008" />

The fort had been under surveillance for two months and was thought to contain high-value Taliban leaders. After a diversionary attack to the North, the fort was bombarded by 155&nbsp;mm heavy artillery and bombed by B1 Lancers.<ref name="Guardian, 17 Jan 2007" />

The assault began as 200 men from 45 Commando crossed the river in amphibious Vikings and Scimitar light tanks, supported by Apache gunships and 105&nbsp;mm artillery.<ref name="Guardian, 17 Jan 2007" /> A Forward Air Controller or JTAC within the assault group co-ordinated air support.<ref name="WiB" /> Despite considerable firepower, the Taliban within the fort continued resisting. One of the Viking machine gunners opened fire on a muzzle flash, despite it being outside their arc of fire, and caused a friendly fire incident on five of the Marines, four of whom were then evacuated as casualties.<ref name="Telegraph, 16 Aug 2008" /> The continuing resistance and "shortfalls in combat power" led to the Marines retreating back across the river.<ref name="Guardian, 16 Aug 2008" />

A head-count on the far side of the river revealed that Lance-Corporal Ford was missing. Aerial reconnaissance images from an Apache showed that he was still within the fort.<ref name="Guardian, 16 Aug 2008" /> A rescue attempt was mounted, an Apache pilot suggesting an alternative to another land attack: two Apaches would carry a handful of Marines, riding on the outside of the helicopters, each on one of the stub-wing weapons pylons. Although not a regular tactic, the pylons are strong, have tie-down points fitted and are recognised for use with casevac or impromptu cargo moves.<ref name="WATM" />

The two Apaches returned to the fort. Air support for the rescue attempt was to be provided again by B1s, dropping precision-guided JDAMs, and supported by A-10s.<ref name="WATM" /> A widely circulated report afterwards described how only prompt action by one of the A-10 pilots avoided a further serious friendly-fire incident, when the JTAC passed the wrong GPS coordinates to the B1 crew for their attack.<ref name="WiB" />

Lance-Corporal Ford was located and recovered, but he died from his wounds before reaching safety.<ref name="Guardian, 16 Aug 2008" /><ref name="Bosleys" />

Jugroom Fort was cleared in May 2008, by Charlie Company, 1st Battalion, 6th Marines USMC, helping the re-opening of a route through to Pakistan.<ref name="Bathgate" />

==References== {{Reflist|refs=

<ref name="Guardian, 17 Jan 2007" >{{cite news |first=Declan |last=Walsh |last2=Norton-Taylor | first2=R. |title=Strapped to Apaches and dodging fire, how troops recovered fallen comrade |newspaper=The Guardian |date=17 January 2007 |url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2007/jan/17/afghanistan.military }}</ref>

<ref name="Guardian, 16 Aug 2008" >{{cite news | last=Norton-Taylor | first=R. | title=Poor training, confusion and friendly fire, the real story behind brave Apache rescue | newspaper=The Guardian | date=16 August 2008 | url=https://www.theguardian.com/uk/2008/aug/16/military.afghanistan | accessdate=8 September 2012 }}</ref>

<ref name="Telegraph, 16 Aug 2008" >{{cite news |first=Thomas |last=Harding |title=Royal Marine was shot by his own side 'due to inadequate training' |newspaper=The Daily Telegraph |date=16 August 2008 |url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/newstopics/onthefrontline/2564242/Royal-Marine-was-shot-by-his-own-side-due-to-inadequate-training.html }}</ref>

<ref name="WATM" >{{cite web |author=Logan Nye |title=That time 4 Royal Marines strapped themselves to attack helicopters and rode into a Taliban compound |work=We Are The Mighty |date=16 October 2015 |url=https://www.wearethemighty.com/articles/marines-apache-helicopters }}</ref>

<ref name="Bosleys" >{{cite web |title=Apache Hero’s DFC Outstanding Story |website=Bosleys militaria auctioneers |url=https://www.bosleys.co.uk/en-GB/apache-hero-s-dfc-outstanding-story/blog_10024 }}</ref>

<ref name="WiB" >{{cite web |title=A-10s Saved the Day in Botched Afghanistan Raid |work=War is Boring |date= 14 June 2014 |url=https://medium.com/war-is-boring/a-10s-saved-the-day-in-botched-afghanistan-raid-b78367f4fd0e }}</ref>

<ref name="Bathgate" >{{cite web |title=Showdown at Jugroom Fort |author=David Bathgate |work=The Digital Journalist |date=August 2008 |url=http://digitaljournalist.org/issue0808/showdown-at-jugroom-fort.html }}</ref>

}}

==Further listening and viewing== * {{Cite podcast|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m002j5qx/|title=The Fort|website=The History Podcast|publisher=BBC Radio 4|date=8-19 September 2025|access-date=6 October 2025}} A 2½-hour podcast telling the story of Operation Glacier in the words of the British participants and contemporary BBC news reports. * {{Cite web|url=https://www.davidrowlands.co.uk/gallery/gal_detail.asp?varPaintCode=706|title="Soldiers First", Rescue at Jugroom Fort|access-date=6 October 2025|website=David Rowlands}} Painting of Operation Glacier by a British war artist.

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Category:Buildings and structures in Helmand Province Category:Military installations of Afghanistan