The Other Side of the Mountain: Mujahideen ... - Tribal Analysis Center

VIGNETTE 8
RAID ON LATABAND SECURITY OUTPOSTS
by Commander Wazir Gul
There are two highways between Kabul and Sarobi. The northern
highway is the newer one and is part of Highway 1—the main highway
of Afghanistan. The older Kabul-Sarobi highway runs roughly parallel
to Highway 1, some four-ten kilometers to the south. A series of
Soviet and DRA security bases and outposts protected both highways.
In September 1985, several Mujahideen groups combined to conduct a
raid on the Soviet/DRA security outposts in the Lataband pass east of
Kabul (Map 2-7 - Lataband). Lataband is located on the old Kabul-
Sarobi highway. The Lataband pass was protected by a Soviet base at
Mulla Omar in the west, and a DRA Sarandoy base at Lataband in the
east. The area between the two bases was protected by several security
outposts manned by DRA military detachments.
My group's base was in Zandeh Kalay which is some 25 kilometers
south of the pass. I planned the attack at the base. We left the base at
1500 and moved to the Tezin Valley where we spent the night. We carried
our supplies and ammunition on mules. Once we got to the Tezin
Valley, I met with`the commanders of other groups and we coordinated
our attack. The total strength of the combined Mujahideen force was
about 150 fighters. We left what we did not need for immediate combat
at Tezin and moved out toward our targets. We brought the mules
with us. There were three chief components in our combined force—
two fire support groups and an assault group. Each fire support group
had heavy weapons (three BM-1, four DShK, three 82mm mortars).
Their mission was to attack and pin down the Soviet base at Mulla
Omar and the Sarandoy base at Lataband. The assault group had
twelve RPG-7s and four 82mm recoilless rifles. The assault group was
composed of three 20-man teams Each 20-man team had a designated
enemy outpost to attack.
We moved into position. In order to minimize the daylight available
to the enemy's aircraft, we decided to start our attack in the late
afternoon. We began the attack at 1600 with heavy fire on the bases
at Mulla Omar and Lataband. Meanwhile, the assault teams occupy-
Commander Wazir Gul was affiliated with Jamiat-e Islami Afghanistan (JIA) of Burhanuddin
Rabbani. His base was in Tezin southwest of Sarobi. He fought in the Sarobi, Lataband
and Mahipar areas. [Map sheets 2985 and 2986vic grid 5618].