203 Mansoori Corps#203 Tandar Corps until 2021
{{Infobox military unit
| unit_name = 203 Mansoori Corps
| native_name = {{langx|ps|۲۰۳ منصوري قول اردو}}
| image = 203_Mansoori_Corps.png
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| start_date = October 2021
| end_date =
| disbanded =
| country = Afghanistan
| allegiance = {{Flagicon image|Flag of Taliban.svg}} Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan
| branch = Afghan Army
| type = Corps
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| nickname = Mansoori
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| battles = Republican insurgency in Afghanistan
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| commander1 = Maulvi Hezbollah Afghan
| commander1_label = Chief of Staff
| commander2 = Qari Mohammad Ayub Khalid
| commander2_label = Commander
| commander3 = Rohul Amin
| commander3_label = Deputy Commander
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The 203 Mansoori Corps is one of the eight corps of the Islamic Emirate Army established in October 2021 and headquartered in Gardez. The current Chief of Staff is Maulvi Hezbollah Afghan.{{Cite web|url=https://bakhtarnews.af/ps/د-اسلامي-امارت-په-تشکیلاتو-کې-نوي-کسان-پ/|title=د اسلامي امارت په تشکیلاتو کې نوي کسان پر دندو وګومارل شول|date=October 4, 2021|website=باختر خبری آژانس}} In December 2021, 450 soldiers after completing military training graduated from the 203 Mansoori Corps headquarters in Paktia province. The corps includes of the 2nd and 3rd Border Brigade each consists of hundreds of security personnel.{{Cite web|url=https://www.nunn.asia/197293/%d8%a7%d8%b3%d9%84%d8%a7%d9%85%d9%8a-%d8%a7%d9%85%d8%a7%d8%b1%d8%aa-%d9%be%d9%87-%d9%87%db%90%d9%88%d8%a7%d8%af-%da%a9%db%90-%d9%be%db%8c%d8%a7%d9%88%da%93%db%90-%d8%a7%d9%88-%d8%ae/|title=اسلامي امارت په هېواد کې "پیاوړې" او "خپلواکې" اردو جوړلو ته ژمن دی|date=December 1, 2021}}
The Islamic Republic of Afghanistan-era corps it replaced was known as the 203 'Tandar' Corps and was a part of Afghan National Army.{{cite web |title=Interim Taliban government rebrands Afghan army |url=https://www.aa.com.tr/en/asia-pacific/interim-taliban-government-rebrands-afghan-army/2414568 |website=www.aa.com.tr |date=7 November 2021}}
Command Staff
| class="wikitable"
! colspan="4" | Chiefs of Staff | |||
| Chief of Staff | Period | Notes | Ref(s) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ahmadullah Mubarak
| 4 October 2021 – 4 March 2022 | | |||
| Maulvi Hezbollah Afghan
| 4 March 2022 – Present | | |||
| colspan="4" | Commanders | |||
| Commander | Period | Notes | Ref(s) |
| Qari Mohammad Ayub Khalid
|4 October 2021 – Present | | |||
| colspan="4" | Deputy Commanders | |||
| Deputy Commander | Period | Notes | Ref(s) |
| Rohul Amin
| 4 October 2021 – Present | |
203 Tandar Corps until 2021
{{Infobox military unit
| unit_name = 203rd Corps
| image = 203rd Tandar (Thunder) Corp patch.jpg
| image_size =
| caption = 203rd Corps patch
| start_date = 23 September 2004[https://www.defense.gov/News/News-Stories/id/25226/ Afghan National Army activates second regional command], September 23, 2004, AFPS
| country = {{flagdeco|Islamic Republic of Afghanistan}} Afghanistan
| allegiance =
| branch = 23px Afghan National Army
| type = Corps
| role =
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| garrison = Gardez, Paktia Province, Afghanistan{{cite web |last1=Radin |first1=CJ |title=Afghan National Army (ANA) |url=https://www.longwarjournal.org/multimedia/ANSF%20OOBpage4-ANA.pdf |publisher=The Long War Journal}}
| garrison_label = Headquarters
| battles = War in Afghanistan (2001–2021)
| commander1 = General Dadan Lawang
| commander1_label = Last commander
}}
The 203rd 'Tandar' (Thunder) Corps was a corps of the Afghan National Army (ANA), headquartered in Gardez. The original Gardez Regional Command was established on 23 September 2004. It was heavily involved in the War in Afghanistan (2001–2021).
Early in 2006, the formation carried out the very first of the reborn Afghan Army's Medical civic action programs, providing medical assistance to the civilian population, in Khost Province.Dan Huvane, ANA, Combined Task Force Devil Team Up for MEDCAP, Desert Devil Dispatch, 82nd Airborne Division, 15 February 2006, accessed at [http://www.bragg.army.mil/82dv/desert%20devil%20dispatch]{{dead link|date=April 2025|bot=medic}}{{cbignore|bot=medic}}, via Samuel Chan, "Sentinels of Afghan Democracy," at [https://web.archive.org/web/20170823030340/http://www.armyupress.army.mil/Journals/Military-Review/English-Edition-Archives/2009-Archive/]. On 19 October 2006, as part of Operation Mountain Fury, two Embedded Training Teams (ETTs) supervised a D30 artillery section from Fourth Battalion, Second Brigade, 203rd Corps, as it fired its first combat artillery missions, harassing the enemy with indirect fires.(First to Fire, "FA Journal", Jan/Feb 2007) Three days later, the battalion successfully conducted counterfire (with assistance from a US Q-36 radar).{{Citation needed|date=August 2007}}
Major General Abdul Khaliq, the corps commander, took operational command of Operation Maiwand in Andar district, Ghazni Province, a reported Taliban stronghold, in July 2007. This was reported as the first large-scale mission the ANA had planned and executed.Chan, "Sentinels of Afghan Democracy," 2009, p.36 Maiwand involved over 1,000 Afghan and 400 United States Army personnel.
As of 2009, the corps consisted of the First Brigade (Khost), Second Brigade (Forward Operating Base Rushmore, Sharana, Paktika Province), and Third Brigade (Ghazni). As of 30 November 2011, Brig. Gen. Zamaray Khan was listed by Jane's Defence Weekly as commander of the Second Brigade, 203rd Corps.JDW 30 Nov 11, p.34
The corps was supported by the Gardez Regional Support Squadron of the Afghan Air Force, equipped with eight helicopters: four transport, to support the corps' commando battalion; two attack; and two medical transport.{{Cite web|url=https://www.longwarjournal.org/archives/2009/02/afghan_national_army.php|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20100912090312/http://www.longwarjournal.org/archives/2009/02/afghan_national_army.php|url-status=dead|title=Afghan National Army Air Corps: February 2009 Update | FDD's Long War Journal|date=February 20, 2009|archivedate=September 12, 2010|website=www.longwarjournal.org}} In 2017, the 203rd Corps and 303rd Police Zone demonstrated a high level of cooperation not seen across Afghanistan according to Colonel Matthew J. Van Wagenen, commander of Task Force Southeast.{{Cite web|last=Dennis|first=Christopher|date=July 13, 2017|title=Task Force Southeast PART 2 of 5 -- Who we TAA, the 203rd Corps and 303rd Police Zone|url=https://www.army.mil/article/190741/task_force_southeast_part_2_of_5_who_we_taa_the_203rd_corps_and_303rd_police_zone|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210709184506/https://www.army.mil/article/190741/task_force_southeast_part_2_of_5_who_we_taa_the_203rd_corps_and_303rd_police_zone |archive-date=2021-07-09 |access-date=|website=}}
The last commander of the Corps was General Dadan Lawang who had earlier been retired by Asadullah Khalid but brought back by Ashraf Ghani.{{cite web |last1=Clark |first1=Kate |title=The Taleban's rise to power: As the US prepared for peace, the Taleban prepared for war |url=https://www.afghanistan-analysts.org/en/reports/war-and-peace/the-talebans-rise-to-power-as-the-us-prepared-for-peace-the-taleban-prepared-for-war/ |website=Afghanistan Analysts Network - English |language=ps-GB |date=21 August 2021}} The Corps surrendered in Gardez on 14 August 2021.
See also
References
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{{Islamic Emirate Army}}
{{Afghan National Security Forces}}