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Mujahideen Tactics in the Soviet-Afghan War - Bennett Park Raiders

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Chapter 3, Vignette 1 Page 111<br />

COMMENTARY: The <strong>Mujahideen</strong> were able to fire on <strong>the</strong> garrison<br />

over a two-hour period s<strong>in</strong>ce <strong>the</strong>y periodically shifted fir<strong>in</strong>g positions<br />

to avoid return fire. The <strong>Soviet</strong>s did not push out any night patrols<br />

to f<strong>in</strong>d <strong>the</strong> fir<strong>in</strong>g positions but only replied with artillery fire. The<br />

artillery fire did no good. Apparently, <strong>the</strong> garrison commander had<br />

not surveyed potential and actual <strong>Mujahideen</strong> fir<strong>in</strong>g positions to<br />

counter <strong>the</strong>m.<br />

The <strong>Mujahideen</strong> rendezvous po<strong>in</strong>t was located <strong>in</strong> one of three<br />

escape routes <strong>in</strong>to <strong>the</strong> mounta<strong>in</strong>s from Kama District. Fur<strong>the</strong>r, it is<br />

adjacent to a likely block<strong>in</strong>g position which <strong>the</strong> <strong>Soviet</strong>s used dur<strong>in</strong>g<br />

<strong>the</strong>ir periodic block and sweep operations. The <strong>Mujahideen</strong> were<br />

caught downhill from <strong>the</strong> <strong>Soviet</strong> block<strong>in</strong>g force and could not escape.<br />

As usual, <strong>the</strong> <strong>Mujahideen</strong> were severely hampered by <strong>the</strong> lack of<br />

portable, short-range radios which would have allowed <strong>the</strong>m to<br />

coord<strong>in</strong>ate <strong>the</strong>ir actions.

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