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

VIGNETTE 1
FAILED SIEGE AT URGUN
by General Gulzarak Zadran
Urgun was the home of the DRA's 21st Mountain Regiment. It is
located near the Pakistan border and is close to the strategic positions
of Khost, Gardez, and Ghazni, as well as Waziristan, Pakistan.
Once, after the Mujahideen formed their government in exile, they
wanted to make Urgun the symbolic seat of their government.
Despite the fact that Urgun is located in 'an isolated area, its political
significance prompted the DRA and Soviet forces to keep it under
control at all costs. One of the major Mujahideen actions at Urgun
took place in 1983. About 800 Mujahideen from the Wazir, Zadran,
and Kharoti tribes took part. Major commanders at the seige included
Mawlawi Jalaluddin Haqani, Mawlawi Arsalah, Matiullah,
Mawlawi Ahmad Gul and Qauzi Kharoti. The military council for the
seige included Captain Abdul Majid, Major Arsala Wazir, Captain
Qayum, Captain Sardar, Amanullah, Mawlawi Abdul Ghafur and me.
The regiment's main force was located in the old fortress at Urgun
which is commonly called the Octagonal Fort (Hashtrakha Kala). It
had one battalion based in another fort four kilometers south of the
regiment at Nek Mohammad Kala. A reinforced company held the
airfield to the west of the regimental headquarters. Another company
protected the main road to Urgun at a post some 1.5 kilometers to
the north. (Map 7-1 - Urgun)
We planned to destroy the regiment in two phases. The first phase
would destroy the security around the main headquarters (the southern
battalion plus the two outlying companies). The second phase
would destroy the regimental headquarters. The first phase began in
August 1983. The Mujahideen based in the mountains east of Urgun
Valley encircled and besieged the battalion at Nek Mohammad Kala.
This enemy battalion was deployed in a fort which had several towers.
The fort was surrounded by minefields and heavy ZGU-1 machine
General Gulzarak Zadran was an officer in the Royal Afghan Army. He trained in the
United States and attended the Afghan Army Higher Officers Training Institute, where the
author, Ali Jalali, was his instructor. He joined the resistance and fought in Paktia Province.
He fought in Zhawar one and two and at the Satakandow pass. He belonged to Abdul-Rab
Russul Sayyaf's Islamic Union of Afghanistan (IUA). After the fall of the DRA, he became
the Deputy Minister of Defense in the interim government. Currently he lives near
Peshawar. [Map sheet 2882].