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

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Chapter 1, Vignette 11 Page 47 and return fire while the rest of the convoy caught in the kill zone would drive out of it. The security detail followed this SOP. Instead of aggressive efforts to use their armored strength and fire power to outflank the ambush groups and cut off their withdrawal, the Soviet security vehicles passively remained with the embattled column and fired on suspected Mujahideen positions. They had little effect. Later on, as the Soviet forces established stationary security posts in the key areas along the highway, they failed to support and sustain them in the face of constant Mujahideen attacks. This later led them to construct a bypass road further to the north away from the dangerous green zone. The Soviet surrendered the initiative in movement control to the Mujahideen and never regained it. Consequently most of the Soviet actions in the area were reactive. In a guerilla war, the loss of initiative becomes decisive in the outcome of tactical combat. What mostly contributed to Mujahideen success in inflicting heavy losses on the enemy was their elaborate planning, secrecy in movement and coordinated action. This became possible through detailed information about the enemy including the size, direction of movement and estimated time of arrival of the enemy convoy to the ambush site. Simultaneous attack on the enemy column along its entire depth was perhaps the most decisive element in this ambush. In this case, the Mujahideen had approximately 40 combatants to a kilometer of ambush. This was much denser than usual Mujahideen ambushes and reflected that they were fighting from a green zone which could accomodate more combatants. However, the Mujahideen failed to exploit the initiative they achieved through surprise by moving to the road to complete the destruction of a demoralized and panicked enemy. Instead, they pulled out immediately after their success. This failure to fully exploit an ambush became a hallmark of Mujahideen hit and run tactics throughout the war. Later fighting confirms the importance of field fortifications and terrain to increase battlefield survivability and sustain combat despite enemy air and artillery superiority. This was a lesson once learned by the Mujahideen that was effectively implemented throughout the war. The Soviets and DRA, on the other hand, did not make a concerted effort to find and destroy these positions. The parochial nature of the resistance always affected selection of the place and time of tactical actions against the enemy. In areas where the local population remained in their homes and had not emigrated, local resistance units preferred to reserve for themselves the
Page 48 The Other Side of the Mountain: Mujahideen Tactics in the Soviet-Afghan War choice of time, place and method of action against the enemy and not let outside Mujahideen groups risk their security and plans by conducting combat in their area without their consent. The decentralized nature of the resistance, factionalism and lack of unified command were both a Mujahideen strength and weakness.
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THE OTHER SIDE OF THE MOUNTAIN: Muj
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Chapter 3: Shelling Attacks 105 Vig
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Chapter 14: Urban Combat 365 Vignet
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FOREWORD When the Soviet Union inva
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ACKNOWLEDGMENTS This book would not
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PREFACE Afghanistan, a multi-ethnic
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system, an oppressive central gover
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Chapter 2, Vignette 9 Page 99 eight
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VIGNETTE 10 RAID ON THE BRIDGE POST
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Chapter 2, Vignette 10 Page 103 cha
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VIGNETTE 1 A SHELLING ATTACK TURNS
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Chapter 3, Vignette 1 Page 109 troo
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Chapter 3, Vignette 1 Page 111 COMM
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Page 114 The Other Side of the Moun
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CHAPTER 4 ATTACKING A STRONG POINT
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VIGNETTE 1 TAKING ALINGAR DISTRICT
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Chapter 4, Vignette 1 Page 121 capt
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VIGNETTE 5 STORMING GULA'I by Haji
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CHAPTER 5 MINE WARFARE Mine warfare
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VIGNETTE 1 MUJAHIDEEN DEMOLITION ME
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VIGNETTE 2 MINING ATTACKS NEAR MEHT
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Chapter 5, Vignette 2 Page 145 set
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Chapter 6, Vignette 2 Page 155 ing,
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VIGNETTE 4 DEFENSE OF A RIVER LINE
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Chapter 6, Vignette 4 Page 163 rive
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VIGNETTE 5 THE DEFENSE AGAINST THE
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VIGNETTE 6 OPERATION GHASHEY (ARROW
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Chapter 6, Vignette 6 Page 177 B. N
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Chapter 6, Vignette 6 Page 179 Ther
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Chapter 6, Vignette 6 Page 181 2. B
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Chapter 6, Vignette 6 Page 183 over
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Chapter 6, Vignette 6 Page 185 COMM
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Chapter 6, Vignette 6 Page 187 moun
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COMMENTARY: The confident commander
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CHAPTER 7 SIEGE WARFARE The Mujahid
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VIGNETTE 1 FAILED SIEGE AT URGUN by
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Chapter 7, Vignette 1 Page 201 At 2
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Chapter 7, Vignette 1 Page 203 the
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VIGNETTE 2 DEHRAWUD OFFENSIVE In th
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Chapter 7, Vignette 2 Page 207 road
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Chapter 7, Vignette 2 Page 209 appr
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CHAPTER 9 FIGHTING HELIBORNE INSERT
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VIGNETTE 1 SOVIET HELIBORNE RAID AC
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Chapter 9, Vignette 1 Page 231 retr
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VIGNETTE 2 SOVIET RAID ON KANDA by
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CHAPTER 10 DEFENDING AGAINST A CORD
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VIGNETTE 1 BATTLE OF BARAKI BARAK b
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Chapter 10, Vignette 1 Page 245 ene
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VIGNETJE 2 DEFENDING AGAINST AN OFF
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VIGNETTE 3 BATTLE FOR KAMA by Abdul
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Chapter 10, Vignette 5 Page 265 Naz
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CHAPTER 11 DEFENDING BASE CAMPS Alt
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VIGNETTE 1 SOVIET OFFENSIVE THROUGH
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Chapter 11, Vignette 1 Page 271 At
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VIGNETTE 2 DEFENDING SURKHAB BASE C
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Chapter 11, Vignette 2 Page 275 hig
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VIGNETTE 3 FALL OF SURKHAB BASE CAM
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Chapter 11, Vignette 3 Page 279 get
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VIGNETTE 4 Loss OF THE TOR GHAR BAS
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VIGNETTE 6 QALA-E NAW BASE CAMP DEF
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VIGNETTE 7 DEFENDING THE SUBURBS OF
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VIGNETTE 8 DEFENDING THE MALAJAT by
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VIGNETTE 9 BATTLE FOR CHAHARQULBA V
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Chapter 11, Vignette 9 Page 315 wou
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VIGNETTE 10 ZHAWAR ONE by Lieutenan
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Chapter 11, Vignette 10 Page 319 D3
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Chapter 11, Vignette 10 Page 321 "b
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VIGNETTE 11 ZHAWAR TWO by Lieutenan
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Chapter 11, Vignette 11 Page 325 DR
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VIGNETTE 12 KRER ONE by Commander A
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Chapter 11, Vignette 13 Page 333 ou
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VIGNETTE 14 THE FALL OF CHAGHNI BAS
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Chapter 11, Vignette 14 Page 339 Th
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CHAPTER 12 COUNTERAMBUSH Counteramb
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VIGNETTE 1 CAUGHT IN A SOVIET AMBUS
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Chapter 12, Vignette 1 Page 345 and
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VIGNETTE 2 AMBUSHED AT FARZA by Com
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VIGNETTE 3 BLASTING OUT OF AN AMBUS
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VIGNETTE 5 AMBUSHED ON THE HIGH PLA
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VIGNETTE 1 A TRIP TO THE "GOVERNOR'
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VIGNETTE 3 ESCAPE FROM THE ARGHANDA
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CHAPTER 14: URBAN COMBAT Urban guer
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Chapter 14, Vignette 2 Page 369 sec
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VIGNETTE 3 INCIDENT AT QALA-E JABAR
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VIGNETTE 7 ALCOHOL CAN BE DEADLY by
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Vignette 14 Raid on 15 Division Gar
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CHAPTER 15 CONCLUSION "As a nation,
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Chapter 15 Page 401 Disunity of Com
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Chapter 15 Page 403 ing the large a
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Chapter 15 Page 405 The overall Muj
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GLOSSARY Afghanistan National Liber
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Glossary Page 409 Korean War. It sa
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Glossary Page 411 Kochi—Kochi are
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Glossary Page 413 Shia—The minori
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Rifleman Light Machine Gun Medium M
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INDEX Abdul-Rahman, Mawlawi 167, 16
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Razek, Abdul 335 Index Page 419 Sad
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The Other Side of the Mountain: Muj
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