The Qala-i-Jangi Surrender

• 💡 On November 24, 2001, approximately 400 Al-Qaeda foreign fighters surrendered near Mazar-i-Sharif, Afghanistan, under a murky agreement brokered by Dostum and Mullah Fazel.
• 📌 The prisoners, who were not disarmed, were transported to the Qala-i-Jangi fort, where a suicide grenade attack occurred upon their arrival, killing two of Dostum's commanders.
• ⚠️ This surrender was later revealed to be a "Trojan horse plot" by Mullah Fazel, intended to gain control of the fort and retake Mazar-i-Sharif.

CIA Interrogation and Uprising

• 🧠 On November 25, CIA officers Mike Spann and David Tyson entered the fort to interrogate the Al-Qaeda prisoners, despite a directive (unknown to the CIA) for Green Berets to stay out.
• ⚡ Around 11 AM, an uprising began when prisoners in the "Pink House" cellar overwhelmed guards, leading to explosions and gunshots, as they had hidden weapons.
• 💬 David Tyson noted the chaotic interrogation conditions, with prisoners able to hear each other and many still armed with AKs and grenades.

Mike Spann's Sacrifice and David Tyson's Fight

• 🔥 Mike Spann was attacked by rushing prisoners, shot some, but was ultimately overwhelmed and killed by the Al-Qaeda fighters.
• 🚀 David Tyson, hearing the commotion, ran towards Mike, killed the attackers on top of him, and then fought his way out of the fort for approximately 11 minutes, killing numerous prisoners.
• 🎯 Tyson's actions were described as an incredible display of courage under extreme stress, running towards danger when many others fled.

Aftermath and Six-Day Battle

• 🚨 Tyson eventually escaped the fort and contacted the embassy, leading to a rescue effort involving Green Berets, British SBS, and DIA linguists.
• 🔍 Navy SEAL Steph Bass later confirmed Mike Spann's death, identifying his body in the fort.
• 💥 The uprising escalated into a six-day battle, including a friendly fire incident where a 2,000-pound J-DAM was mistakenly dropped on Northern Alliance forces, and the eventual flooding of the cellar to force out remaining Al-Qaeda fighters, including John Walker Lindh.