During the later stages of the operation a Coalition force came under heavy rocket-propelled grenade, mortar and machine gun fire. Pinned down, an Australian commando platoon fought its way across the valley in order to arrange its extraction. The Taliban force resisted strongly, firing repeated RPG volleys which resulted in the death of one soldier and the wounding of thirteen others, including six Australians. Despite losing a third of their strength the Australians continued the assault and amid heavy fighting the commandos successfully neutralised the insurgents before arranging the evacuation of the wounded. The fighting had been intense and a number of Australians suffered serious injuries, including one soldier whose jaw was blown off, while the company sergeant major suffered extensive leg injuries. One Commando received shrapnel damage to his foot which did not stop him from continuing on fighting. Another Commando, thrown to the ground by the blast, had serious lacerations to his arm and was seen by the medic in the heat of the battle. The interpreter received a wound to his buttocks and the explosive detection dog was rendered unconscious for a moment in the same blast. Meanwhile, three US AC-130 Spectre gunships ran out of ammunition for their cannon and machine-guns while supporting the Australians. Likewise the Australian long-range patrol vehicles also ran out of ammunition, including for their Javelin anti-armor missiles and machine-guns.
