Battle of Tarakan (21st Century Crisis)

The Battle of Tarakan (Indonesian: Pertempuran Tarakan) was a week-long battle between Indonesian and Malaysian forces in the town of Tarakan, located in North Kalimantan, Indonesia. The Malaysian invasion of Tarakan was planned as part of their attempted invasion of the Celebes Sea, in order to choke the Indonesian army as Malaysian vessels carry troops for a land-invasion from the east.

Malaysian paratrooper brigades landed in the city on February 12, 2008, attacking Indonesian police forces and any other armed personnel in the city. For the first day of battle, the Malaysians engaged in armed conflict against the Indonesian National Guard and the Tarakan Armed Rifle Guard. It isn't until Indonesian helicopters arrived, to engage in house-to-house searches for Malaysian troops - eventually meeting them in street fights and house to house fighting.

The battle lasted for one week, with the Indonesians emerging victorious as a result of the Indonesian Navy's success against Malaysia's invading naval forces.