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

VIGNETTE 1
SOVIET RAID ON MUJAHIDEEN HIDEOUT AT SAYGHANI
by Haji Abdul Qader
On 9 January 1981, a Soviet detachment mounted a raid on
my home in Sayghani Village, about six kilometers northeast of
Bagram air base. At that time, I commanded a group of some 200
local Mujahideen who were spread among several mobile bases in
the area. We would conduct specific missions in Bagram and neighboring
districts in Parwan and Kapisa Provinces. I rarely spent the
night in my village since it is very close to the Soviet garrison at
Bagram 1
and difficult to defend. I would alternate among my mobile
bases and would stay at a different location every night. I was
usually accompanied by no more than 20 of my men who were
disguised as peaceful civilians.
A week before, JIA Commander Mawlawi Zaher of Gujarkhel and I
combined forces to ambush a Soviet/DRA column at Sofi Baba along
the road from Koh-e Top to Sayad. The column had seven or eight
trucks and six APCs. The column was returning from Khanaqa and
Niazi in the south where the DRA had conducted a press gang to draft
recruits into the DRA army. We ambushed their column at dusk and
destroyed two APCs and four trucks with short-range RPG-7 fire. We
captured some 70 Kalashnikovs, which we desperately needed. We
divided the weapons between our two groups. I believe that the raid
on my home was in retaliation for this ambush.
That night I had some guests from Laghman and entertained them
until late in the evening in my house in the village. In the late
evening, I sent most of my men to other villages and kept about 40 at
Sayghani (22 of them were residents of the village).
Sayghani is a village of about 100 homes located off the main road.
My home is near the village mosque, protected by several fort-like
structures ringing the village (Map 8-1 - Sayghani). I posted two guard
details—one at my house and the other at the mosque. The night was
very quiet and at midnight the snow began to fall. Early in the morning,
I woke up for morning prayer. The guards on my roof reported
Haji Abdul Qader was a school teacher who became a Mujahideen commander. He was
initially with the HIK faction and later with the IUA faction. [Map sheet 2886, vie grid 2970].
Mr. Anthon Jalali's notes also used in this vignette.
1
The Soviet 682nd Motorized Rifle Regiment and the 354th Separate Airborne Regiment
were garrisoned in Bagram.