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

Chapter 10, Vignette 1 Page 245
enemy from many directions.
We suffered casualties, but the enemy also got a bloody nose. It
was an infantry fight at close quarters. Three Mujahideen in my
immediate group were killed during our local counterattack. Soviet
forces were encircled and the Soviets launched counter-counterattacks
to aid their encircled forces. We also reinforced our forces. Our
forces were intermingled and the Soviet artillery was unable to fire
into the area of contact for fear of hitting their own troops. Fighting
continued until dusk. As night fell, fighting slackened and stopped.
The next morning, the enemy resumed the attack, but this time
from the east using tanks and infantry. We Mujahideen had mined
the Khalifa Saheb Ziarat 2 approach. The Soviets brought dogs to
detect the mines. My group in this area were in well-covered positions
with three RPGs. As the enemy cleared the minefield and
moved forward, we opened fire with our RPGs on their tanks standing
in the open cultivated areas. The enemy responded by moving
overwhelming force into the area. The Mujahideen responded by
moving out of their positions to move through gaps to attack the
enemy on the flanks. Small groups of Mujahideen with RPGs also
maneuvered through the concealing terrain folds to engage the
enemy. This totally changed the situation, with the enemy stopping
and going to ground in defensive pockets. The enemy's momentum
was lost as his attack bogged down. The Soviets occupied villages,
farm buildings and orchards and turned them into defensive positions
as the second night fell. The Soviets were scattered in five or
six pockets and the Mujahideen kept them from linking up. We
Mujahideen knew the terrain and the local civilians helped us move
from position to position. We attacked the Soviets from all sides, but
suffered casualties as well. For the next day and night, the situation
continued. Both sides were intermingled and the whole area was on
fire. We saw guns capable of firing in every direction (D30) and saw
a single-barreled grenade launcher (RPG-18). This was the first time
we captured AK-74 assault rifles. 3 Flak jackets protected the Soviets
from AK fire, but our old .303s penetrated them. After three days and
nights, the enemy began to withdraw. Every column returned by the
direction it had come.
2 Ziarat means shrine.
3 The AK-74 Kalashnikov 5.56mm assault rifle was issued only to Soviet troops. DRA
troops had the older AK-47 Kalashnikov assault rifle. The Mujahideen called the AK-74 the
"Kalakov". One of the Pashtun songs of the time had a line "A mother should not mourn a
son killed by a Kalakov" This meant that her son died fighting Soviets.