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

Chapter 6, Vignette 6 Page 183
overrun Mujahideen blocking positions between Dargo and Debili.
The pressure of the two-pronged attack on the widely scattered
Mujahideen groups and the lack of supplies forced me to narrow my
front and concentrate in the four-kilometer stretch between Dargo
and Debili between the two highway bridges which his Mujahideen
had destroyed earlier.
From 1 to 6 November, the enemy moved bridge-building vehicles
supported by tanks and motorized infantry to lay bridges across
the Kabul river at Debili and Dargo. We Mujahideen repeatedly
disrupted and defeated these attempts by firing from the high ground
south of the narrow gorge. We also took DRA columns under crossfire
from well-prepared positions. During these attempts, the DRA
lost several tanks, APCs and bridging equipment sets.
PHASE THREE
The third phase of the operation was the conduct a large-scale
ambush before withdrawal. I ordered all Mujahideen task forces to
observe complete radio silence and cease firing effective 2000 hours
on 6 November. I further directed some Mujahideen to physically
withdraw as part of the deception. The next morning, the entire front
was quiet. The DRA moved freely along the highway and replaced
the necessary bridges. At 1530 hours, the DRA started moving large
mechanized columns across the Debili bridge toward Dargo, entering
our "kill zone." A large number of vehicles entered the kill zone as
traffic surged into the gorge from both directions. The two-way lanes
were full of vehicles and a traffic bottleneck ensued. The head of the
column coming from the east reached the repaired bridge at Debili
and the head of the column coming from the west reached the newly-
Enemy Outposts Overrun:
1. Owa-Tselay Post 7. Dargo post
2. Sherkhan Upper Post 8. Kalima Post
3. Gharray Post 9. Girdabi Post
4. Two outposts set between the 10. Toot Post
Pul-e Estehkam bridge and 11. Soorey Tiga Post
Debili bases. 12 Lakai Post
5. Two outposts around the Pul-e 13.Tekas Post
Estehkam Base 14.Surkhakan Bridge Post
6. One outpost set between the 15.Khairokhel Post
Dargo and Pul-e Estehkam 16.Lower Khairokhel Post
Bridge