Mujahideen Tactics in the Soviet-Afghan War - Bennett Park Raiders
Mujahideen Tactics in the Soviet-Afghan War - Bennett Park Raiders
Mujahideen Tactics in the Soviet-Afghan War - Bennett Park Raiders
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Page 110 The O<strong>the</strong>r Side of <strong>the</strong> Mounta<strong>in</strong>: <strong>Mujahideen</strong> <strong>Tactics</strong> <strong>in</strong> <strong>the</strong> <strong>Soviet</strong>-<strong>Afghan</strong> <strong>War</strong><br />
I <strong>the</strong>n heard noise from <strong>the</strong> north and I thought that <strong>the</strong> <strong>Soviet</strong>s<br />
were com<strong>in</strong>g from that direction as well. But <strong>the</strong>n I saw Shapur and<br />
one of my o<strong>the</strong>r men. They were com<strong>in</strong>g for me. Shapur reported that<br />
tanks were mov<strong>in</strong>g through Kama and had sealed <strong>the</strong> exits. The<br />
enemy were arrest<strong>in</strong>g people throughout Kama. We decided to leave<br />
to <strong>the</strong> north. Earlier, Shapur had sent a messenger to my group of 13<br />
tell<strong>in</strong>g <strong>the</strong>m to move north. However, <strong>the</strong>y were p<strong>in</strong>ned down by heavy<br />
artillery fire and direct fire. They could not break contact and fought<br />
to <strong>the</strong> last man. As we left <strong>the</strong> area, one of my <strong>Mujahideen</strong> fired an<br />
RPG at a helicopter. The helicopter caught fire and flew off and fell to<br />
<strong>the</strong> ground near Kama—where it exploded. I don't know whe<strong>the</strong>r <strong>the</strong><br />
RPG hit <strong>the</strong> helicopter or whe<strong>the</strong>r o<strong>the</strong>r ground fire got it.<br />
We moved to <strong>the</strong> village of Ghara Mamakhel, some four hours <strong>in</strong>to<br />
<strong>the</strong> mounta<strong>in</strong>s, where I met two more of my men. By morn<strong>in</strong>g, 12 of<br />
my people arrived <strong>the</strong>re. I learned <strong>the</strong> fate of my group of 13. The<br />
<strong>Soviet</strong>s rema<strong>in</strong>ed <strong>in</strong> Kama for two days. Then we returned to retrieve<br />
<strong>the</strong> bodies of my men. I found <strong>the</strong> bodies of my 13 men <strong>in</strong> a group, plus<br />
those of Zafar and Noor and five more of my men. The <strong>Soviet</strong>s had<br />
booby-trapped some of <strong>the</strong> bodies and had spr<strong>in</strong>kled chemicals on o<strong>the</strong>r<br />
bodies which caused <strong>the</strong>m to dis<strong>in</strong>tegrate. We couldn't evacuate <strong>the</strong>se<br />
bodies. So we built graves over <strong>the</strong>m. Their bodies are still <strong>the</strong>re<br />
under stones. I do not know what <strong>the</strong> <strong>Soviet</strong> casualties were, but I do<br />
know that I shot two, we downed a helicopter and <strong>the</strong> <strong>Soviet</strong>s lost three<br />
armored vehicles to our m<strong>in</strong>es dur<strong>in</strong>g this action.<br />
Throughout <strong>the</strong> war, I faced <strong>the</strong> <strong>Soviet</strong>s like this dur<strong>in</strong>g seven<br />
sweeps. I moved <strong>the</strong> families of <strong>the</strong> martyrs to refugee camps <strong>in</strong><br />
Peshawar, Pakistan, s<strong>in</strong>ce we couldn't support <strong>the</strong>m <strong>in</strong> <strong>the</strong> Kama area.<br />
I later learned that <strong>the</strong> <strong>Soviet</strong>s were look<strong>in</strong>g for me personally. They<br />
arrested someone who looked like me (<strong>the</strong> narrator has a prom<strong>in</strong>ent<br />
nose) while he was harvest<strong>in</strong>g clover. At that time, my beard was<br />
shorter. They took him to Jalalabad and paraded him around—"We've<br />
caught <strong>the</strong> son of a b-—" <strong>the</strong>y said. Someone f<strong>in</strong>ally recognized him,<br />
and said that he wasn't me and so he was released. Around that same<br />
time, <strong>the</strong> DRA governor of Kama District was <strong>in</strong> <strong>the</strong> Merzakhel Village!<br />
The <strong>Soviet</strong>s arrested him and put him <strong>in</strong>to forced labor s<strong>in</strong>ce <strong>the</strong>y didn't<br />
recognize him. They had him carry<strong>in</strong>g water to <strong>the</strong>ir soldiers on <strong>the</strong><br />
high ground. The <strong>Soviet</strong>s were very careless of <strong>Afghan</strong> lives. They<br />
killed several villagers <strong>in</strong>discrim<strong>in</strong>ately. They also killed one of my<br />
men who was unarmed. I am glad we drove <strong>the</strong> <strong>Soviet</strong>s out, but <strong>the</strong><br />
subsequent actions of <strong>the</strong> <strong>Mujahideen</strong> tarnish <strong>the</strong>ir record of victory. I<br />
have written many poems of protest aga<strong>in</strong>st <strong>the</strong>ir current activities.