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

Page 172 The Other Side of the Mountain: Mujahideen Tactics in the Soviet-Afghan War
we carried in most of our supplies by Mujahideen porters.
The Soviets continued their move south. They preceded their
movement by air assault landings to seize high ground on both
sides of the road. Their columns would then advance under the
protection of these picketing forces. As the Soviets moved forward,
they left security OPs behind to secure their lines of communication.
The Soviets reached Lakatega and the columns from Satakandow
and Saroti linked up. After that, it was smoother for them. The
Soviets/DRA left a security detachment at Lakatega and advanced
on Khowst. At the same time, a DRA detachment from the 25th
Infantry division moved west out of Khowst to link up with the
approaching column After the force secured the road to Khowst, they
began moving supply columns along the road to resupply the
beleaguered city.
The tide was beginning to turn. The local Mujahideen, who had
taken their families to Pakistan, returned. Mawlawi Jalaluddin
Haqani and other commanders (Matiullah, Mula Abdul Ghafur,
Gulzarak Zadran, Amanullah, Mula Seddiq, Tawakal, Abdur-rahman,
Wakil Wazir Mohammad, Pari, Padshah Khan and Sadat)
arrived and moved into the mountains west of the highway. Colonel
Imam of the Pakistani ISI arrived and tried to coordinate. the
Mujahideen action. Haji Amanullah Khan and other commanders
arrived. Mujahideen from other areas in Afghanistan arrived.
Mujahideen and Taliban arrived from Pakistan. They were all eager
for a fight. The Mujahi-deen selected 12 commanders and assigned
enemy outposts between Wazi and Satakandow for them to attack.
The Soviets had moved into the side valleys, but the 12 commanders
forced the Soviets out of the side valleys and confined them to the
vicinity of the road. Then they began attacking the road. Jalaluddin
Haqani, was at Fakhry. Once again, Jalaluddin Haqani was wounded
during battle—this time with shrapnel in his thigh. Although
Haqani was wounded, he stayed on for a week. Then he was evacuated
on mule back over mountain paths to Miram Shah.
The Soviets/DRA could only keep the road open for 12 days. Then
they withdrew. When the Soviet air assault abandoned the heights,
they took their weapons, but left all the ammunition behind. The
Mujahideen recaptured the road and neither the DRA nor the Soviets
could reopen it.
Despite the intensity of battle, Mujahideen casualties were light.
There were perhaps some 100 Mujahideen KIA. The villagers
suffered greatly and the villages were heavily damaged or destroyed.