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

Page 276 The Other Side of the Mountain: Mujahideen Tactics in the Soviet-Afghan War
alties in other groups. All the wounded who could walk, walked to
Pakistan for treatment. The other wounded were treated by local
doctors. Doctors from Kabul hospitals would come to help us also. Dr.
Abdur Rahman from a hospital in Kabul would often treat our wounded.
I do not know what the enemy losses were, but they must have
suffered a lot to quit on the brink of victory.
COMMENTARY: The DRA/Soviets had the opportunity to attack the
eastern and western canyon mouths simultaneously. The Mujahideen
defenses were oriented to the west. Even on the second day, when the
DRA/Soviets tried to envelop the Mujahideen position from the Tobagi
plain, they did not hook around the mountain, but tried to go over the
mountain. The Mujahideen were used to the mountains, whereas the
Soviets were not and their equipment was not designed for climbing in
mountains. Later in the war, the Soviets issued better equipment for
fighting in the mountains and began training their soldiers at mountain
warfare sites. At this point, the non-nimble Soviets and the reluctant
DRA were no match for the Mujahideen in mountain maneuver.
They should have taken the canyon from both ends. Further, if the
DRA or Soviets had covertly moved some artillery spotters onto high
ground before the offensive, they could have unhinged the Mujahideen
defenses before they were established.
The Soviets had not yet developed their air assault tactics for counterinsurgency.
The mountain tops of Spin Ghar and Lakay Ghar can
handle heliborne landings and the Mujahideen air defense posture was
negligible at this point. A small Soviet force, reinforced with mortars,
artillery spotters and forward air controllers and machine guns could
have created havoc from the mountain tops.