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

VIGNETTE 5
BATTLES FOR SHARAFAT KOH MOUNTAIN FORTRESS
. by Engineer Mohammad Ibrahim
Sharafat Koh is a large mountain southeast of the city of Farah.
It is located between the paved road running between Kandahar
and Herat (Highway 1) and the Daulatabad-Farah road (Highway
517). The real name of the mountain is Lor Koh, but we Mujahideen
renamed it Sharafat Koh (Honor Mountain). 2 The mountain is a
roughly rectangular-shaped massif with a plateau on top. It rises
some 1,500 meters above the surrounding desert and its sides are
steep. It covers over 256 square kilometers and is often snow capped.
Many large and small canyons (kals) cut into the mountain. On the
north side is the Shaykh Razi Baba Canyon (Map 11-5 - Sharafatred
and blue graphics apply to last battle). To the northwest is the
Kale-e Amani Canyon. This canyon was populated by ancient peoples
and you can see their drawings of hunters with bows and arrows
on the rocks. To the west is the Kale-e Kaneske Canyon. The Jare-e
Ab Canyon faces southwest and links with the Kal-e Kaneske
Canyon at the top. To the south is the Tangira Canyon which had the
most water, but which the Mujahideen usually avoided since it was
the only canyon wide enough for armored vehicles to enter. Facing
south, and further to the east is the Khwaja Morad Canyon near the
Khwaja Morad shrine. There is access to all the canyons from the
mountain plateau.
The Kal-e Kaneske Canyon was the strongest base at Sharafat
Koh. It takes 35-40 minutes to walk from its entrance to the end.
The canyon mouth is an opening in solid rock and is only two or
three meters wide. When you walk into the canyon, you cannot see
the sky above you, but later it widens into a. three or four hectare
area at the end of the canyon where there are trees. A stream runs
intermittently through the canyon. There is even a water fall with
Engineer Mohammad Ibrahim is a graduate of Kabul University in the College of
Agriculture. He was a group commander in Farah Province and doubled as medical officer
and facilitator. Initially he was with Mawlawi Mohammad Shah but left in 1985 when
his Barakzai tribe had a falling out with the Achakzai tribe of Mawlawi Mohammad Shah.
He then fought for Haji Ghulam Rasul Shiwani. He now works with the UNHCR. [Map
sheets 1581 and 1582].
2 The communists called it Mordar Koh (Filthy Mountain) after the Mujahideen moved their
bases there in 1979.