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

Chapter 1, Vignette 12 Page 51
On the morning of 20 October, there were an unusual number of
helicopters flying in the area. Asil Khan felt that this indicated that a
convoy was leaving Kabul and so he moved his men into the ambush
site and waited for the column to arrive. Around 1000 hours, a large
supply column, escorted by tanks and APCs, approached the
Mujahideen position. Helicopters were flying overhead. As the leading
tanks and APCs reached the kill zone, the Mujahideen detonated
the mines. One tank blew up and the column came to a sudden halt.
The Mujahideen opened fire on the column. But the Mujahideen were
so concerned about making a fast getaway, that their fire was not too
effective against the vulnerable column. They destroyed just one truck
with their RPGs before they broke contact and fled unscathed to
friendly territory in the west.
COMMENTARY: The Mujahideen achieved surprise but failed to exploit
it fully once the column stopped. The commander's desire to safeguard
his force prevented their further damaging the column. Still, a tank
and a truck is a good days work for a 15-man ambush. Proper selection
of the ambush site is key and this area was very open and offered
little protection to the force. Some 12 kilometers further south is the
Kotal-e Takht (the Takht pass) which is far more suitable for an
ambush. The terrain there also allows surprise and provides better
protection and concealed exit routes for the ambushing force. An
ambushing force could fight much longer in this area and inflict more
damage on a column. However, there are certain limitations in selecting
an ambush site in the area. First of all, Mujahideen groups generally
operated on their home turf. Acting outside their home turf could
have unfavorable political, and support ramifications. Secondly, the
Mujahideen wanted to harass their enemy as close to the capital as
possible for political and propaganda reasons. Attacks at the gates of
Kabul were more significant than attacks further out. Finally, since
the area is very open, an ambush here had a good chance at surprise
since it is not an obvious ambush site.