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

Chapter 11, Vignette 5 Page 291
arrived hours before the Soviets. We vowed to resist and to kill anyone
who tried to flee. We took up positions on the high ground on
both sides of the canyon on the ridges of Tora Para, Shna Para and
Spina Para. We also put five men on the rear approach to the canyon
and put some men on Tor Tsalay to watch the approach from Jar-e Ab
Canyon. It was raining, but not enough to stop the Soviet aircraft.
Observation aircraft flew over and then fighter-bombers flew over in
groups of three. They made bombing runs on us. We only had two
DShK machine guns left and they were not enough to keep the aircraft
away. The enemy intensified his bombing. They also began firing
artillery at us and kept it up all night, depriving us of sleep.
Before sunrise on the second day, the enemy ground attack
began. There were probably two battalions in the attack. One battalion
attacked Tora Para and the other attacked Spina Para. Tanks
supported the dismounted infantry, who tried to approach the canyon
but failed. During the afternoon of the second day, Malek Ghulam
Haidar was killed deep inside the base area. We had several Afghan
prisoners in our base, who we detained for disputes and crimes
committed in the area controlled by the. Mujahideen. A Haji from Zir
Koh was one of our prisoners. He described how a lone Soviet came
into the camp and pointed his rifle at the prisoners. Through sign
language, they indicated that they were prisoners, so the Soviet
herded them into the prison cave and stood outside for awhile. Then
he disappeared. Nabi, who was carrying food to our front lines
returned to the camp and saw the Soviet. Since he was unarmed, he
ran and the Soviet followed him. Nabi ran to the arms depot where
Malek Haidar was. Nabi told him that Soviets had penetrated the
base from the mountain top. Malek took his American G3 rifle and
his Soviet TT pistol and walked out of the depot cave. The Soviet was
waiting behind a rock. He fired two shots and killed Haidar. Then
he took Haidar's G3 and pistol and left. I was sitting at the first aid
station near the front lines when I heard Abdul Hai yell "Who are
you? Who are you? Stop!" at the Soviet. Another Mujahideen was
going to shoot him, but didn't since the Soviet was far away and they
thought that he might be a prisoner carrying supplies to the forward
positions. The Soviet was in uniform, but he was down in the canyon
and we were high above him on the canyon walls and couldn't really
tell. Since the Soviet aircraft were still bombing us, we did not
believe that a single Soviet had snuck into our base and was now
leaving. Timurshah Khan Mu'alim, who was at Shna Para, also
aimed at the Soviet, but Bashar, Mohammad Shah's nephew, talked