for operation anaconda, its commander, army major general franklin l. hagenbeck, directed coalition forces, u.s. soldiers and afghan forces, to destroy remaining al qaeda and taliban forces in an area located roughly 65 nautical miles south of the afghan capital, kabul. one reconnaissance team in two helicopters landed on takur ghar, ghar, a snowcapped, 10,200-foot mountain where temperatures at the top reached during the day and dropped to a negative five at night.