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

Chapter 4, Vignette 1 Page 121
captured a DRA soldier. Sidiqullah identified Saidagul and told them
that they had a much more important catch. The fighting continued
through the night, the Mujahideen moving to cut off the fleeing DRA
officials and pursuing them in the dark. The fighting ended in time for
morning prayers.
One of the groups involved in the fighting was a group of teenagers
from 13 to 18 years old who we called the Khandakiano (bull terriers)
group. During the fighting, one 14-year-old was fighting a desperate
hand-to-hand combat with a DRA sports captain named Sharif.
Fortunately, another Mujahideen killed Sharif during the fight.
We killed 285 DRA officials, police, soldiers, militia and civilians. 2
We captured 80 heavy weapons, two armored vehicles and 1,200 small
arms. The heavy weapons included one 76mm mountain gun, one
76mm field gun, some ZGU-1 heavy machine guns, a 107mm mortar,
several DShK heavy machine guns, and some 82mm mortars. Many
government people also surrendered to us. It was a bonanza. In
Nawaz Khan's group, they lost three KIA and seven WIA. In
Sidiqullah's group they lost two KIA. We kept the district capital for
some time until a joint Soviet/DRA force pushed us out and reestablished
DRA government in Alingar.
COMMENTARY: Alingar is about 30 kilometers from the province capital
of Mehtar Lam. At this point of the war, the Mujahideen were determined
to control political centers so that they could claim to be a legitimate
government in Afghanistan. The DRA was equally determined
to prevent this.
2 Sidiqullah states 120 DRA casualties.