2001 War in Afghanistan

120 mm White Phosphorus Ammunition in the 2001 War in Afghanistan

U.S. Army reporting documents 120 mm white phosphorus mortar fire by ISAF forces in Kunar province, while CENTCOM-derived reporting records insurgent fielding of white phosphorus munitions including a 120 mm round rigged as an IED in Khost province.

Weapon profile120 mm White Phosphorus Ammunition
SideUnited States, NATO, and Afghan government forcesTaliban and allied militantsRoleFire SupportArea DenialInsurgent / Guerrilla Use
120 mm White Phosphorus Ammunition, 120 mm white phosphorus smoke ammunition, Munitions - 2001 War in Afghanistan
Image source: Wikimedia Commons White Phosphorous mortar round

Evidence Map

ClaimSources
U.S.-led and Afghan government forces used 120 mm white phosphorus mortar rounds during a September 2010 firefight in Kunar province.

Sources: Coalition Forces Beat Attack on Afghan Checkpoint

Taliban and allied militants fielded white phosphorus munitions in Afghanistan; the directly identified 120 mm example is a September 2008 IED in Khost province.

Sources: Willy Pete in the Stan

The Kunar event was connected to a checkpoint fight involving insurgent RPG, heavy-machine-gun, and small-arms fire followed by ISAF and Afghan police return fire.

Sources: Coalition Forces Beat Attack on Afghan Checkpoint

Timeline

120 mm White Phosphorus Ammunition In 2001 War in Afghanistan

  1. ISAF patrol finds a 120 mm WP round in an IED

    A CENTCOM/ISAF incident summary reproduced by Military.com says an ISAF road-clearance patrol discovered an IED rigged with one 120 mm white phosphorus round in Sabari District, Khost province.

    Sources: Willy Pete in the Stan

  2. 120 mm WP mortar fire documented in Kunar

    A U.S. Army article on the Shege East checkpoint firefight says 120 mm white phosphorus mortar rounds were fired toward a nearby ridgeline where insurgents were located.

    Sources: Coalition Forces Beat Attack on Afghan Checkpoint

Documented Use

Direct proof of use

The clearest coalition-side record is a U.S. Army account of a September 18, 2010 firefight at Shege East Afghan National Police Checkpoint in Kunar province. The article says International Security Assistance Forces and Afghan National Police answered insurgent fire with small arms, heavy machine-gun fire, and mortar fire, and then identifies 120 mm white phosphorus mortar rounds fired toward a nearby ridgeline where insurgents were located.

Insurgent-side evidence is documented separately. Military.com reproduced a CENTCOM/ISAF summary of reported insurgent white phosphorus attacks and caches in Afghanistan; one listed event says an ISAF road-clearance patrol found an IED rigged with one 120 mm white phosphorus round in Sabari District, Khost province, on September 15, 2008.

Sources: Coalition Forces Beat Attack on Afghan Checkpoint, Willy Pete in the Stan

Timeline

The CENTCOM-derived incident list places insurgent white phosphorus activity across several years of the war, but most entries identify 81 mm, 82 mm, 107 mm, or 122 mm munitions rather than 120 mm rounds. The source's 120 mm entry is the September 2008 Sabari District IED discovery.

The September 2010 Kunar report is the dated source that directly places 120 mm white phosphorus mortar rounds in coalition fire support during a checkpoint firefight.

Sources: Willy Pete in the Stan, Coalition Forces Beat Attack on Afghan Checkpoint

Operational role

In the Kunar event, 120 mm white phosphorus ammunition was used as part of mortar fire during a defensive fight at an Afghan police checkpoint. The reporting places the rounds on a ridgeline occupied by insurgents and pairs the fire with ISAF and Afghan police small-arms and heavy-machine-gun responses.

For Taliban and allied militant use, the cited record supports fielding and improvised use rather than a named 120 mm mortar firing event. The Sabari District entry describes a 120 mm white phosphorus round incorporated into an IED; the same incident list also records other insurgent white phosphorus indirect-fire attacks, caches, and unexploded-ordnance finds without always tying those events to 120 mm ammunition.

Sources: Coalition Forces Beat Attack on Afghan Checkpoint, Willy Pete in the Stan

Images

Conflict Context

U.S. Army soldier at a Kunar checkpoint as 120 mm white phosphorus mortar rounds hit a nearby ridgeline
U.S. Army imagery from the September 18, 2010 Shege East checkpoint firefight identifies 120 mm white phosphorus mortar rounds hitting a nearby ridgeline.

Sources: Kunar Checkpoint WP Mortar Image

Related Weapons by Role

120 mm smoke ammunition, 120 mm smoke ammunition for rifled gun-mortars, MunitionsMunitions120 mm smoke ammunition120 mm smoke ammunition for rifled gun-mortars120 mm smoke ammunition is a mortar and gun-mortar ammunition class used to build short-duration obscurant screens rather than to deliver direct explosive effects. Forecast International lists smoke among the 120 mm ammunition types fired by the 2A60 Nona rifled ordnance on the 2S23 Nona-SVK, while Army Recognition describes the tracked 2S9 Nona as firing smoke rounds in its indirect-fire role. Modern 120 mm smoke products from STV GROUP, Nammo, and Hirtenberger show the class spanning visible and infrared screening, red-phosphorus payloads, white-phosphorus smoke, and other smoke fills depending on the round.
Cartridge, 105 mm, Smoke, WP, M60, 105 mm white-phosphorus smoke artillery cartridge, MunitionsMunitionsCartridge, 105 mm, Smoke, WP, M60105 mm white-phosphorus smoke artillery cartridgeThe Cartridge, 105 mm, Smoke, WP, M60 is a U.S. semi-fixed 105 mm white-phosphorus smoke cartridge family for 105 mm howitzers. Army ammunition data sheets describe the M60 series as a screening round with a cast-WP projectile filler, a seven-increment M67 propelling charge, and model differences centered on burster construction and fuze compatibility. Army rigging and ordnance-identification references also list the family by DODIC C454 and C477.
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Sources