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

VIGNETTE 9
BATTLE FOR CHAHARQULBA VILLAGE
by Commander Akhtarjhan
During the Soviet occupation, the eastern bank of the Arghandab
River near Kandahar city was a safe haven and the Mujahideen would
not fight in this area. The west bank was Mujahideen territory. I had
my base in Babur village in the orchards of the west bank (later, after
the Soviets withdrew, I established east bank bases in Baba Valisaheb
village, Pir-e Paymal and in the western suburbs of Kandahar). My
senior commander was Mulla Naqib. During the Soviet occupation, he
had a remote base in Khakrez mountain, but his main base was in
Chaharqulba village. My eldest brother was killed in fighting at this
village base. My next oldest brother fought out of the Babur base
and became a commander when my oldest brother was killed.
Commanders were selected based on the social position of the family,
education, and personal leadership talents. Family ties were important.
A commander brought his relatives into the group and a prestigious
family could raise a large group. Since my brother established
the group, it was natural that my brother, and, subsequently, I should
succeed to the command. In fundamentalist Mujahideen groups,
commanders were picked for ideological commitment and not for
family ties. Many teenagers joined the Mujahideen because the DRA
would press-gang youth into the army and Mujahideen bases were a
good place to avoid the draft.
In June 1987, during the month of Ramadan, the DRA/Soviets
launched a major operation in the Arghandab (Map 11-12 - Chahar).
During the operation, the enemy concentrated in Nagahan and then
moved northeast along the western bank of the Arghandab River.
Another column crossed the Arghandab River from Baba Valisaheb.
They began with a heavy air attack against suspected Mujahideen
bases. We moved to our bunkers. The west bank was actually a
Mujahideen fortified zone, which we laced with bunkers, fighting positions
and trenches. Further, since the green zone was full of orchards,
Commander Akhtarjhan was a Jamiat-l-lslami (JIA) commander in Arghandab District
northwest of Kandahar. He was an elementary school student when he joined the Jihad
at the age of 12. At the end of the war he was 25 years old and a commander. He joined
the Jihad because he had had two brothers in the Jihad and they were both killed. He took
their place as family tradition dictated. He served under Mulla Naqib, the most powerful
Jamiat commander in the area. [Map sheet 2180].