2001 War in Afghanistan

M224 in the 2001 War in Afghanistan

The M224 60 mm mortar is documented in U.S. Army use in Afghanistan, with DVIDS imagery showing a Combined Task Force Dragoon soldier firing an M224 Lightweight Company Mortar System during an Operation Enduring Freedom range mission in Panjwai on August 16, 2013.

Weapon profileM224
SideUnited States, NATO, and Afghan government forcesRoleFire Support
M224, 60 mm lightweight company mortar, Artillery - 2001 War in Afghanistan
Image source: File:M224 mortar firing.jpg

Evidence Map

ClaimSources
A U.S. Army soldier with Combined Task Force Dragoon fired an M224 Lightweight Company Mortar System in Panjwai, Afghanistan, on August 16, 2013.

Sources: DVIDS Mortar Fire

The documented event was an Operation Enduring Freedom range mission rather than a named combat engagement.

Sources: DVIDS Mortar Fire

The M224 is a 60 mm lightweight company mortar used for infantry fire-support roles.

Sources: FM 23-90 Mortars

Timeline

M224 In 2001 War in Afghanistan

  1. M224 fired during Panjwai range mission

    A U.S. Army soldier with Combined Task Force Dragoon was photographed firing an M224 Lightweight Company Mortar System during an Operation Enduring Freedom range mission in Panjwai, Afghanistan.

    Sources: DVIDS Mortar Fire

Documented Use

Direct proof of use

DVIDS documents a U.S. Army soldier with Combined Task Force Dragoon firing an M224 Lightweight Company Mortar System during an Operation Enduring Freedom range mission in Panjwai, Afghanistan, on August 16, 2013. The record places the weapon in Afghanistan service on the United States, NATO, and Afghan government side of the war.

The source supports in-theater firing and training use, but it does not identify a named combat engagement or a specific target.

Sources: DVIDS Mortar Fire

Operational role

In the sourced Afghanistan record, the M224 appears as a light infantry mortar used by U.S. forces for deployed mortar fire training and close fire-support readiness. U.S. mortar manuals describe the M224 as a 60 mm company mortar that can be fired from conventional bipod and baseplate equipment or in a lighter handheld mode.

The available source used for this detail record documents U.S. Army operation of the weapon; it does not document Taliban, Afghan government, or other NATO operators using the M224 in Afghanistan.

Sources: DVIDS Mortar Fire, FM 23-90 Mortars

Images

Conflict Context

U.S. Army soldier firing an M224 mortar in Panjwai, Afghanistan
A U.S. Army soldier with Combined Task Force Dragoon fires an M224 Lightweight Company Mortar System during an Operation Enduring Freedom range mission in Panjwai, Afghanistan, on August 16, 2013.

Sources: DVIDS Mortar Fire

Related Weapons by Role

60 mm mortar, Light infantry mortar, ArtilleryArtillery60 mm mortarLight infantry mortarThe 60 mm mortar is a portable light-infantry indirect-fire class used for close support where crews need high-angle fire from a weapon lighter than larger battalion mortars. The caliber family spans many national models: direct conflict sourcing documents PKK 60 mm mortar use and recovered ammunition in the Kurdish-Turkish conflict, disputed Thai 60 mm mortar fire claims in the 2025 Thailand-Cambodia border fighting, and Yemen-linked interdiction of 60 mm mortar tubes assessed by the United States as intended for Houthi forces rather than confirmed battlefield firing.
Mortar launcher, 60mm, 60 mm light mortar launcher, ArtilleryArtilleryMortar launcher, 60mm60 mm light mortar launcherA 60 mm mortar launcher is a light infantry indirect-fire system built around a smoothbore, muzzle-loaded tube that can be used in conventional bipod-and-baseplate form or, on some modern systems, in reduced handheld or commando configurations. In the 2009 Boko Haram Insurgency, Nigerian reporting has documented 60 mm mortar tubes recovered from ISWAP fighters around Marte, Gajiram, Mandara Mountain, and the Timbuktu Triangle, while Conflict Armament Research has separately documented mortar materiel and captured 60 mm rounds among JAS/Boko Haram and ISWAP-linked seizures around Lake Chad. The recovered launcher models are not publicly identified, so this entry treats the item as a caliber-class system rather than a specific national model.
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Sources