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

Page 170 The Other Side of the Mountain: Mujahideen Tactics in the Soviet-Afghan War
controlling both axes with air assault troops and small caliber
artillery. 6 From these peaks, they could hit our positions and
support their advance through the Satakandow pass on the main
road. At the same time, they could support their continued advance
along the Saroti approach. Their sudden seizure of the high ground
between their two axes gave them a tremendous advantage. The
Soviets began bombing the Mujahideen headquarters at Sarani
Command and control suffered greatly from the shelling.
The Soviets on the high ground began directing artillery and rocket
fire on the villages in both valleys leading from Satakandow and
Saroti. The Zadrans in the villages had not emigrated and the
Soviets wanted to displace them. They were successful. Many
Mujahideen, concerned about the danger to their families, left the
fighting to evacuate their families to Pakistan. This exodus opened
the way for the further advance of the Soviet troops. They were now
ready for the main attack on the Satakandow axis.
The Soviets opened their operation against the Satakandow pass 7
with heavy air strikes and artillery fire while they moved their
maneuver forces to Dara. Then, once their positions were set, they
flew an airplane over the pass at high altitude, dropping paratroopers.
Reconnaissance aircraft, flying at much higher altitudes, trailed
the aircraft that was dropping the paratroopers. We engaged the
paratroopers with all our air defense machine guns and whatever
other air defense weapons we had. As the paratroopers drifted closer,
we realized that we had been duped. The "paratroopers" were
dummies and the reconnaissance aircraft had photographed our
response and pinpointed our positions.
The Soviets now began firing on our positions in earnest. Heavy
artillery strikes followed air strikes, which were followed by more
artillery strikes. We were pinned down in our positions by the strikes
which continued for hours. Our positions were generally artilleryproof
but not bomb-proof and, thanks to their reconnaissance, they
were hitting our positions exactly. They then launched their ground
attack, but we readily defeated it. The next day, 1 December 1987,
they resumed their heavy shelling and bombing.
The overwhelming force of their artillery and airpower took the
6 Possibly the AM 2B9 Vasilyek (Cornflower) 82mm automatic mortar. This weapon can
fire direct and indirect fire. Other candidates are the older D-44 85mm gun (which was
found in airborne units) or the M-69 76mm mountain gun.
7 Vignette 17 in The Bear Went Over the Mountain describes the battle for the Satakandow
pass from a Soviet perspective.