▁c oden amed ▁Operation ▁Cr icht on , ▁a ▁title ▁that ▁would ▁remain ▁in ▁use ▁until ▁ 2 0 0 9 ▁and ▁the ▁new ▁UK SF ▁cod ename ▁for ▁them ▁in ▁Ira q ▁was ▁known ▁as ▁" Task ▁Force ▁Black ". ▁An ▁S AS ▁team ▁worked ▁joint ly ▁with ▁American ▁D elta ▁Force ▁in ▁a ▁secret ▁war ▁against ▁Al ▁Q a eda ▁and ▁other ▁ins urg ents ▁based ▁in ▁Ira q . ▁The ▁Task ▁Force ▁size ▁was ▁roughly ▁around ▁ 1 5 0 ▁personnel ▁and ▁their ▁" Black ▁O ps " ▁operation ▁claimed ▁to ▁have ▁cleared ▁ 3 , 5 0 0 ▁ins urg ents ▁off ▁the ▁streets ▁with ▁" se ver al ▁hundred " ▁of ▁them ▁believed ▁to ▁have ▁been ▁killed . ▁ 6 ▁S AS ▁soldiers ▁had ▁also ▁been ▁killed ▁and ▁ 3 0 ▁injured ▁in ▁the ▁Operation . ▁General ▁Stanley ▁Mc Ch ry stal , ▁the ▁American ▁commander ▁of ▁NAT O ▁forces ▁in ▁Ira q , ▁commented ▁that ▁A ▁Squadron ▁ 2 2 ▁S AS ▁Regiment , ▁when ▁part ▁of ▁Task ▁Force ▁Black ▁and ▁Task ▁Force ▁Knight , ▁carried ▁out ▁ 1 7 5 ▁combat ▁miss ions ▁during ▁a ▁six - month ▁tour ▁of ▁duty . ▁In ▁the ▁early ▁months ▁of ▁ 2 0 0 4 , ▁the ▁S AS ▁used ▁their ▁capabilities ▁in ▁reconna issance ▁and ▁surve ill ance ▁to ▁watch ▁suspect s ▁and ▁develop / g ather ▁intelligence ▁for ▁the ▁coal ition ▁intelligence ▁services . ▁The ▁S AS ▁oper ational ▁process ▁in ▁Bag hd ad ▁was ▁known ▁as