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

Page 124 The Other Side of the Mountain; Mujahideen Tactics in the Soviet-Afghan War
was already captured by the Mujahideen, and fled from the town.
Mulla Malang's group established a secure area and signaled the
Mujahideen outside the town. Soon, hundreds of other Mujahideen
poured into the town and cleared it from the southeast to the northwest,
ending on the bank of the Arghandab River. They cleared the
town building by building, again avoiding the streets by advancing by
knocking holes in the walls. Other Mujahideen immediately climbed
to the rooftops and manned the abandoned positions. Only the district
headquarters remained under militia control. That night, the
Mujahideen consolidated their gains and captured the district headquarters
the next day.
The militia had suffered heavy casualties and retreated to the overwatching
high ground of a neighboring hill. The Mujahideen surrounded
the militia positions. The government forces then opened
negotiations with the Mujahideen—apparently to gain time. As they
were talking, an armored Soviet/DRA column arrived from Kandahar.
The Mujahideen withdrew inside Panjwayee.
The following night, the Soviet and DRA forces attacked
Panjwayee and a heavy house-to-house battle ensued. The Mujahideen
fired from the roof tops at the government forces advancing
along the streets. Eventually, the Soviet/DRA combat power made the
Mujahideen position untenable. The Mujahideen withdrew in small
groups under the cover of darkness. The regime restored the district
government in Panjwayee.
COMMENTARY: The Mujahideen gradually learned that overrunning
and seizing control of government administrative centers is easy, but
retaining them usually resulted in rapid Soviet or DRA retaliation.
The Soviets/DRA felt that they had to retain control of local government
agencies and would go to great lengths and take high risks to
defend local administrative centers, even when they were tightly
besieged by the resistance. Control of a district center symbolized
control of the district, though this was seldom the case. In some
remote districts, government control was restricted to a few buildings
in the center of the district town. The government spared no effort to
maintain their presence in these remote district centers despite their
insignificant military usefulness and the high costs,in men and material,
of holding them. This policy was promoted by the political importance
of maintaining control, albeit nominal, over all provinces,
districts and subdistricts in a country which was in revolt against the
foreign-installed government.