SPECIAL FORCES

Kabul-based French journalist Elsa Casanova (Diane Kruger) writes an article about warlord Zaief (Raz Degan) and names him "the butcher of Kabul". Her informer Maina (Morjana Alaoui) warns her that Zaief is out for vengeance. Before she returns to Zaief, she bids farewell because she reckons to die by an honour killing. Elsa tries to hold her back but fails. Her friend Amen (Mehdi Nebbou) urges Elsa to leave the country, yet, agrees to help her try save Maina. Zaief ambushes and captures Elsa and Amen. Amen asks Elsa to show no fear in front of Zaief. Still, she breaks down when their friend Salemani (Greg Fromentin) gets cruelly murdered in her presence.

Zaief publishes film material of Salemani's gruesome death, which eventually reaches the French government. A team of FrenchNaval Commandos gets entrusted with Elsa's rescue. They find Zaief's hideout in Pakistan and witness execution of Maina. When they leave the place with Elsa and Amen, a bullet hits their wireless set. Without means to contact their base, they cannot manage to be found and picked up.

In lack of any other solution, they are heading for the Khyber Pass in order to reach their base in Afghanistan on foot. In the mountains, they have another shoot-out with Zaief's gunmen.

When the fugitives come across a village, Elsa asks for hospitality. While they enjoy themselves with the locals, Marius (Alain Alivon) is suddenly killed by a sniper, who is killed by the team's own marksman Elias (Raphaël Personnaz). Later on, Zaief's gunmen arrive, and Zaief himself kills Amen. When Victor is hit, they retreat into the mountains.

Elias is the second of the team to be killed while luring Zaief's soldiers away. Victor, Kovax, Lucas, and Elsa soon run into a snowstorm, but Victor subsequently goes into shock and dies. Once again Zaief attacks, and Lucas is killed, Tic-Tac is injured and Kovax kills Zaief after he takes Elsa hostage.

They still have a long way ahead of themselves when they are surprised by a debris avalanche. Kovax can save Elsa and Tic-Tac but breaks a leg. The two men persuade Elsa to leave them behind. Elsa, marked by severe exhaustion, scarcely reaches a road where she is rescued. She refuses to return to Paris and has herself taken out of her wheelchair by Admiral Guezennec (Tchéky Karyo) who carries her on his back to a helicopter. Together they find Kovax and Tic-Tac still alive.