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

Chapter 13, Vignette 1 Page 357
position. As the enemy approached us, we were glad to have the 20
RPGs. We joined the local Mujahideen in the fray. The battle went on
for 12 days and we killed 12 armored vehicles during that time. We
tried to break out of the encirclement. We moved through the villages
to Pul-e Matak: at the mouth of the Ghorband Valley. There, we exfiltrated
through gaps in the enemy lines to the Ghorband Valley. We
had 18 killed and two wounded. We destroyed 12 armored vehicles and
four supply trucks. During the 12-15 days that the Soviets and DRA
cordoned the area, they succeeded in entering many parts of the area
and clearing it. Many Mujahideen managed to escape, but the Soviets
and DRA arrested about 800 Mujahideen and civilians in the area.
COMMENTARY: Coordination of fire and maneuver elements is a problem
for trained armies. It is a bigger problem for irregular forces. In
this case, the Mujahideen fire support fell short of the target with
deadly results. Although Mujahideen gunners who conducted regular
shelling attacks against fixed targets were able to register their
weapons over time, Mujahideen gunners supporting ground attacks
seldom had the luxury of registering their weapons prior to the attack.
This added greater risk to the assault force.