▁ 2 0 0 4 , ▁the ▁army ▁troops ▁and ▁foreign ▁f igh ters ▁again ▁eng age ▁in ▁a ▁heavy ▁and ▁blo ody ▁gun ▁battle ▁occurred ▁where in ▁inf antry ▁troops ▁had ▁repeatedly ▁be aten ▁the ▁assault s ▁after ▁assault s . ▁After ▁days ▁of ▁fighting , ▁the ▁inf antry ▁troops ▁gained ▁control ▁of ▁key ▁positions ▁in ▁the ▁mountains ▁which ▁al - Q a eda ▁had ▁previously ▁held . ▁Sp or adic ▁fighting ▁continued ▁as ▁the ▁inf antry ▁units ▁began ▁to ▁purs ue ▁the ▁al - Q a eda ▁foreign ▁f igh ters . ▁So on , ▁all ▁the ▁strateg ic ▁mountain ▁posts ▁were ▁ev acu ated ▁by ▁the ▁al - Q a eda ▁f igh ters ▁as ▁the ▁inf antry ▁troops ▁had ▁reached ▁the ▁top ▁of ▁the ▁mountains . ▁By ▁dawn , ▁the ▁inf antry ▁troops ▁with ▁the ▁help ▁of ▁ 2 0 th ▁Mountain ▁Brigade ▁had ▁taken ▁control ▁of ▁the ▁mountains . ▁ ▁In ▁a ▁last ▁attempt ▁to ▁reg ain ▁their ▁territory , ▁al - Q a eda ▁f igh ters ▁planned ▁another ▁assault ▁against ▁the ▁army ▁at ▁night ▁which ▁continued ▁until ▁dawn . ▁The ▁army ▁troops ▁and ▁par amil it ary ▁officers ▁then ▁counter - att ack ed , ▁and ▁the ▁battle ▁soon ▁sli pped ▁to ▁adjacent ▁mountains ▁as ▁the ▁al - Q a ida ▁foreign ▁f igh ters ▁began ▁to ▁escape . ▁Both ▁sides ▁sust ained ▁cas ual ties , ▁and ▁the ▁next ▁morning ▁al - Q a eda ▁f igh ters ▁began ▁abandon ing ▁their ▁positions ▁and ▁retre