Lor Koh is a 2,492 metres high mountain, southeast of the city of Farah in western Afghanistan.
88-694: The mountain was renamed Sharafat Koh ( Honor Mountain ) by the Afghan mujahideen after they established a stronghold there in 1979. The Afghan communists referred to the mountain as Mordar Koh ( Filthy Mountain ). A series of military operations by Soviet troops and the Armed Forces of the DRA to capture the base area of the Afghan mujahideen during the Afghan war (1979-1989), in the Lor Koh mountain range in
176-557: A "game changer" coined the term "Stinger effect" to describe it. However, these statistics are based on Mujahedin self-reporting, which is of unknown reliability. A Russian general however claimed the United States "greatly exaggerated" Soviet and Afghan aircraft losses during the war. The mujahidin were heavily backed by Pakistan (through the Inter-Services Intelligence ) and the United States (through
264-455: A Soviet landing in the Lor Koh area, due to the numerical and positional advantage in favor of the rebels, was inexpedient. The forces of Soviet artillery were not enough for preliminary processing by strikes on the slopes in order to exclude the loss of foot groups. At the current stage, the Soviet troops did not have the necessary number of helicopters and front-line aviation for the landing, and
352-686: A looming civil war. Sibghatullah Mojaddedi , a leader of Islamic mysticism and a hazrat , was one of the original leaders of an organized anti-government armed group. He created an organization named the Afghan National Liberation Front ( Jabha-i Nejat-i Milli ) and on May 25, 1979, appealed for support in New York City. Sayyed Ahmad Gailani , a spiritual leader ( pir ), also created a resistance organization during this time, called National Islamic Front ( Mahaz-e-Millie-Islami ). Mawlawi Mohammad Nabi Mohammadi ,
440-852: A more broad coalition was created, named Islamic Unity of Afghan Mujahidin (IUAM), comprising the four main Islamist and three moderate groups. It was also nicknamed the Seven Party Mujahidin Alliance , the Peshawar Seven , and the Seven Dwarves . In 1989 under the patronage of Pakistan and Saudi Arabia, An Afghan Interim Government (AIG) was formed in Pakistan to coincide with the withdrawal of Soviet troops from Afghanistan. The Interim Government had been in exile in Pakistan since 1988. The Interim Government
528-783: A new base in the Jare-e canyon. Soviet troops attacked this base in 1980, from there the Mujahideen moved to the Kal-e-Kaneski canyon. The Mujahideen were in the city of Farah until 1982. When the DRA and Soviet troops cleared the area, the Mujahideen abandoned their positions and retreated to Sharafat Koh. With the abandonment of Farah, the Mujahideen lost contact with the population of the city. The Mujahideen regularly attacked nearby columns - Karvanga, Chara, Shivan, as well as garrisons: in Karwang, Charah and Velamekh, intended to escort
616-654: A new organization based in Peshawar , Pakistan, aiming to establish an Islamic Republic . Other rebel movements were also active throughout the country, including Hazara tribes that had some 5,000 men as of August 1979. A broad mujahidin had existed as a de facto political bloc since May 1979, when the Pakistani government decided to limit the flow of financial aid to the said seven organizations, thus cutting off monetary supply to nationalist and left-wing resistance groups. The Soviet operation of December 1979 turned
704-448: A powerful breakthrough deep into the gorge and destroy the base, while sending Soviet troops forward. From the very beginning, the course of the operation to capture Lor Koh took on a complex character - attempts to advance into the depths of the mountain range met with fierce resistance from the rebels. The base was equipped and replenished with reserves in advance and with a prospect for the future: huge stocks of ammunition and food allowed
792-619: A religious scholar and former member of parliament in the Kingdom, formed the Revolutionary Islamic Movement (Harakat-e-Inqilab-e-Islami); he was well known for assaulting prominent leftist Babrak Karmal inside the House of Representatives in 1966. On August 11, 1979, the Afghan National Liberation Front along with three others groups ( Jamiat-i Islami , Hezb-i Islami Khalis , and Revolutionary Islamic Movement) formed
880-636: A second civil war , which saw the large-scale collapse of the united Afghan mujahidin and the victorious emergence of the Taliban , which established the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan shortly after taking most of the country in 1996. The Taliban groups were then ousted in 2001 during the War in Afghanistan , but regrouped and retook the country in 2021. Certain organisations that would later form
968-534: A series of massive bomb and assault air strikes were carried out on them, after which Lurkokh no longer functioned. The fighting to seize the Lor Koh Mujahideen base in December 1984 was carried out using sudden night strikes from different directions and further seizing all the main heights in the mountain range and establishing control over the main gorge, from which the secondary ones departed. Under
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#17327805259581056-554: A superpower, the lack of unity showed weaknesses in the guerillas, such as the lack of a clear political strategy. In an attempt to dissuade infighting and develop a de facto functioning proto state , Ahmad Shah Massoud created the Shura-e Nazar in 1984, an offshoot of the Jamiat faction. Shura-e Nazar was created as a military–political combination and consisted of an organized structure dealing with health and education in
1144-602: A traditionalist group, controlled the Hazarajat at first, but pro-Iran Khomeinist groups challenged them and took control of the region from them. By the mid-1980s the strongest of these was Sazman-i Nasr , while Shura-i Inqilab-i Ittifaq was prominent only in Maidan Wardak . They united as the " Tehran Eight " in 1987 (so-called due to Iranian support). In 1989, most of these merged into one group, Hezb-e Wahdat . There were also Maoist militias that fought against
1232-559: A united movement. The resistance parties remained deeply divided along ethnic, ideological and personal lines, despite internal and external pressures to unite. Dutch journalist Jere Van Dyk reported in 1981 that the guerillas were effectively fighting two civil wars: one against the regime and the Soviets, and another among themselves. Gulbuddin Hekmatyar 's Hizb-i Islami was most cited as the initiator of cross-mujahidin clashes. Through
1320-407: A well-fortified base in the center of the mountains, where the leaders of the mujahideen formations continued to gather from time to time. The Soviet command was oppressed by the fact that during the incessant raids of the rebels, outposts, guard posts and military garrisons - parts of the 40th Army and government troops, continued to suffer losses. To capture Lor Kokh, before the subunits set out, it
1408-596: The Arab states of the Persian Gulf . By May 1980, mujahidin controlled virtually all of rural Afghanistan, and these regions were cleared of Khalqists and Parchamites . With the exception of parts of the north near the Soviet border (under Abdul Rashid Dostum 's command), along with several cities, mujahidin guerillas were in control of most of the country as of 1987. As of 1985, the Jamiat-i Islami held
1496-774: The Central Intelligence Agency ), also receiving backing primarily from Saudi Arabia and the People's Republic of China , while more covert support came from the United Kingdom , Egypt , and West Germany (through the Federal Intelligence Service ). The Hezb-i Islami Gulbuddin faction received the lion's share of weapons from the ISI and CIA. While Ahmad Shah Massoud's group was supported by Britain's MI6 and trained and supplied by
1584-776: The Democratic Republic of Afghanistan and the Soviet Union during the Soviet–Afghan War and the subsequent First Afghan Civil War . The term mujahid (from Arabic: مجاهدين ) is used in a religious context by Muslims to refer to those engaged in a struggle of any nature for the sake of Islam , commonly referred to as jihad ( جهاد ). The Afghan mujahidin consisted of numerous groups that differed from each other across ethnic and/or ideological lines, but were united by their anti-communist and pro-Islamic goals. The coalition of anti-Soviet Muslim militias
1672-691: The Gulf War , U.S. and Saudi officials indicated that they would stop funding both commanders, but this did not happen. However, the CIA and Saudi intelligence pressured the ISI to send captured Iraqi tanks to Haqqani instead of Hekmatyar. In 1993, it was reported that some Mujahidin were deployed in the Caucusus to fight the forces of Armenia in the First Nagorno-Karabakh War . Afghan mujahidin fighters have also been reportedly involved in
1760-562: The SAS . Britain's support to the Afghan resistance turned out to be Whitehall 's most extensive covert operation since the Second World War . The CIA's Operation Cyclone was said to be its "largest and 'most successful' covert operation ever." Pakistan controlled which rebels received assistance: the four "fundamentalist" factions received most of the funding. A large amount of funding also came from private donors and charities from
1848-425: The United Kingdom , as well as other countries and private international donors. The basic units of the mujahidin continued to reflect the highly decentralized nature of Afghan society and strong loci of competing Pashtun tribal groups , which had formed a union with other Afghan groups under intense American, Saudi Arabian and Pakistani pressure. The alliance sought to function as a united diplomatic front towards
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#17327805259581936-596: The civil war in Tajikistan during 1992–1993. After Najibullah's government collapsed, the Mujahidin factions (apart from Hezb-i Islami Gulbuddin ) signed a power sharing agreement (the Peshawar Accord ) and captured Kabul on April 28, 1992, celebrating their " Victory Day ". However, the divisions between the various factions were still there and it was a catalyst that led to another civil war between
2024-569: The communist government of the People's Democratic Party of Afghanistan , which had taken power in the 1978 Saur Revolution , and the Soviet Union, which had invaded the country in support of the former. There were many ideologically different factions among the mujahidin, with the most influential being the Jamiat-e Islami and Hezb-e Islami Gulbuddin parties. The Afghan mujahidin were generally divided into two distinct alliances:
2112-402: The mujahideen had already existed, such as Jamiat-e Islami in 1972 and Hezb-e Islami in 1976, as militias and paramilitary groups. The two organizations first took part in the 1975 Panjshir Valley and Laghman uprisings , and perpetrated acid attacks on women who were unveiled. Groups of resistance formed in parts of eastern Afghanistan by the fall of 1978, but it was in early 1979 that
2200-725: The AIG. He eventually decided to go at the Kabul regime in a very different way: a coalition with Khalq communists of General Shahnawaz Tanai , which caused many resignations in his party in protest. Together, they launched a coup attempt in 1990 to oust the Parchamite Mohammed Najibullah , but failed. A number of Shia militia groups also operated, mainly in central Afghanistan populated by ethnic Hazaras . These groups were also, similarly, divided between themselves. Sayyid Ali Beheshti 's Shura-i Inqilab-i Ittifaq ,
2288-649: The Afghan Air Force could no longer fly due to fuel shortages. Consequently, the Army's desertion rate skyrocketed. In March 1992, Dostum's militiamen defected to Massoud after negotiations, and Najibullah's regime fell shortly afterwards. In 1991, some factions of the Mujahidin were deployed in Kuwait to fight Iraq . After Hekmatyar and Sayyaf publicly denounced the U.S. and the Saudi royal family for their role in
2376-480: The Afghan army in fortified positions and even helped them conduct counteroffensives, in order to leave them in as strong a position as possible. The withdrawal was completed on schedule, with commander Boris Gromov of the 40th Army being the last Soviet soldier to leave Afghanistan. After the Soviet withdrawal, most of the Afghan mujahidin continued its fight against the government of Mohammad Najibullah , which continued to receive funding from Moscow, while similarly
2464-719: The Islamic groups to make attempts to unite. A coalition of the three Islamist and three traditionalist organizations, the Islamic Union for the Liberation of Afghanistan, was formed, headed by Abdul Rasul Sayyaf . However, it did not last, as Gulbuddin Hekmatyar 's group ( Hizb-i Islami Gulbuddin ) and later the three traditionalist groups seceded from it. These three set up the Union of the Three. The Islamic Union later called
2552-509: The Karmal government. The moderate Afghan Social Democratic Party (Afghan Millat) , formed in the 1960s, also resisted in the early days of the war. It was treated as a pariah by the recognized Peshawar-based mujahidin groups. Its guerilla band was heavily damaged in September 1980 following an attack by Hekmatyar's mujahidin forces. The regime in Kabul neutralized an Afghan Millat unit in
2640-442: The Lor Koh base, plots of cultivated land were discovered where everything from vegetables to wheat was grown; training fields, where fire training classes were held from various types of weapons from small arms to grenade launchers; classes in tactics, sapper business - the installation and removal of anti-personnel and anti-tank mines, land mines, charges. The base also had a prison. Each cell had chains and shackles. The front side of
2728-436: The Mujahideen. The operation ended at this point. A few months after the operations in Lor Koh, the base began to function again. Mujahideen in the area renewed their attacks on the highway and systematically increased the territory under their control. Soviet troops took all measures to squeeze the rebels out of the gorge. In the future, the attacks of the rebels on the Soviet and Afghan outposts, outposts, military garrisons of
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2816-447: The Mujahidin was also still receiving funding from Washington and Islamabad. Despite initial estimates, the Mujahidin proved unable to topple Najibullah's regime immediately after the Soviet withdrawal. The government concentrated its forces in defense of key cities, while relying on vast amounts of military and humanitarian aid from the Soviet Union to stay afloat. Soviet military advisors were still present in Afghanistan, helping advise
2904-458: The Mujahidin's attempts to take the city of Jalalabad in March 1989, and the civil war settled into a stalemate for three years. Women also played a part in the Afghan mujahidin, often traveling with them to cook food or wash their clothes, but also taking part in weapons smuggling. There were many female sympathizers who encouraged their husbands, sons or other male family members to take part in
2992-699: The Mujahidin. Veteran mujahidin leaders who fought against the Soviets were divided regarding the Taliban. Yunus Khalis was a strong supporter of the Taliban and Nabi Mohammadi also supported them, even dissolving his own organization in doing so. However, Rabbani and Sayyaf were against the Taliban and formed a new united opposition force called the Northern Alliance , which also recruited Abdul Qadeer (a commander who defected from Khalis's faction), prominent Shi'ite leaders such as Muhammad Mohaqiq , and former DRA commander Abdul Rashid Dostum . This group
3080-561: The Peshawar Seven and not nationalists or tribal elders. After the Soviet withdrawal, the AIG attempted to establish itself within Afghan territory – the mujahidin and Pakistani forces attacked the city of Jalalabad in March 1989, visioning a final victory towards Kabul, but were disastrously defeated by the Afghan Army. The rivalry between Hekmatyar and the Jamiat-i Islami only increased, leading to Hekmatyar's resignation from
3168-582: The Soviet 5th Infantry Division decided to eliminate the rebel detachment in the gorge and seize the Lor Koh base area. According to General B.V. Gromov, the commander of the Soviet contingent in Afghanistan, the capture of the Lor Koh base was, first of all, needed by the Government forces of the DRA, and not by the 40th Army of the USSR. On the border of Afghanistan and Iran, the 5th motorized rifle division conducted combat activities. Its area of responsibility
3256-537: The Soviets and the Afghan regime, as well as the Mujahidin. They were initially well organized and carried out attacks in Kabul; the KGB then had a policy of clearing Kabul of any pro-Chinese elements. A mild suspicion from KHAD was enough to put someone in prison by accusing them of being a pro-Chinese communist. The People's Republic of China , which was a backer of the main Pakistan-based Mujahidin,
3344-426: The air during each of the hostilities. If Soviet units imposed a battle on the rebels, it would lead to heavy casualties. Based on this, it was decided not to carry out an operation inside Lor Koh, but to limit itself only to the selected measures: the approaches to the mountain range were mined, the gorges were treated with artillery. Between the rocks of Lor Koh and the road, reinforced barriers were set up to intercept
3432-506: The areas it operated in (northern and north-eastern Afghanistan). In 1981 the Islamist groups formed a broader alliance, the Union of the Seven , made up of the three Islamist groups, the newly formed organization led by Sayyaf, and three splinter groups. But many differences remained between them. In 1985, under pressure from the king of Saudi Arabia – which was a major donor to the mujahidin –
3520-446: The aviation forces - air cover for helicopters - were also lacking. One of the main problems was also the lack of proper communication for controlling the landing in the mountains, especially when descending into the gorge. The loss of communication with the foot groups was tantamount to their death. At the initial stage of the war, the Soviet troops were not yet equipped with aviation systems with radio repeaters, those that later hung in
3608-402: The canyon is a gorge in a solid rock, only two to three meters wide. At the entrance to the canyon, it is impossible to observe the sky above you, in the depths of the gorge - in the area where there are many trees, it expands three to four times. The canyon has 40-meter waterfalls flowing into a reservoir, water supply dams and 16 caves that can accommodate 60 people. On both sides, at the tops of
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3696-646: The canyons, DShK machine guns were installed. In connection with the loss of powerful bases in the vicinity of the provincial centers of Farah and Nimruz in the early years of the war as a result of the attacks of the Soviet and Afghan government forces, the Mujahideen decided to equip the Sharafat Koh base area. The first base at Sharafat Koh was set up in Tangir canyon in 1979. The Mujahideen detachments were organized along tribal lines, initially they were: Achakzai, Nurzai, Barakzai and Alizai. They united and moved to
3784-429: The cells was covered with a grill made of a thick metal rod, with a door in it. At the end of the prison there was a room with many different instruments of torture. There was a small guard tower over the prison. At the time of the capture of Lor Koh, none of the prisoners were found in the prison. During the inspection, they also found barracks for a variable staff undergoing training here, behind them were premises where
3872-727: The city in 1983. Most of the Mujahidin's weapons were of Soviet design; this includes mostly those that were supplied by their funders and smaller numbers that were captured from the Soviet or Afghan militaries. It was disclosed in 1981 that recoilless rifles (Chinese 83mm, Blo, 70mm) were being used by the resistance. Also in use were Soviet 82 mm mortars , British mortars and Chinese Type 63 mortars. Twin barrelled Chinese-built Type 58s has been seen in smaller numbers. Lee–Enfield rifles, Egyptian made AKMs , and Chinese made SKSs have also been used by them. Beginning in 1985, they began to receive heavy equipment like bazookas and heavy machine guns, while also receiving better equipment for
3960-537: The city of Farah, 12 kilometers from the Kandahar-Herat highway, and 20 kilometers from the Daulatabad-Farah highway. The mountain range is a strict rectangular shape on a plateau (top view). It rises up to 1500 meters above the surrounding desert, the mountain slopes of the massif are steep. Lor Koch covers over 256 square kilometers. The massif consists of many connected large and small canyons. On
4048-518: The civil war into a war of liberation, and the jihad was more forceful than previous Afghan empires had fought against the British and the Sikhs. Except for pockets of supporters of the DRA regime, almost every social, religious and ethnic group protested the Soviet action (despite their removal of the tyrannical Khalq regime), and even religious minorities of Afghan Sikhs and Hindus covertly assisted
4136-399: The cold winters, such as snow boots and ski tents. The raised fundings or assistance from the United States, China and Saudi Arabia all contributed to strengthening the Mujahidin movement by 1987. The portable surface-to-air " Stinger " missile was first used by Mujahedin in September 1986 and is considered by some to have been a turning point in the war. Some military analysts considered it
4224-762: The columns. The leader of the Mujahideen formations in Sharafat Koh was Maulawi Mohammad Shah from the Achakzai tribe. 32°28′N 62°40′E / 32.467°N 62.667°E / 32.467; 62.667 Afghan mujahideen Tehran Eight (Shia Groups) (All except the Islamic Movement and Hezbollah Merged into Hezbe Wahdat ) Other Groups Afghanistan Mujahedin Freedom Fighters Front The Afghan mujahideen ( Pashto : افغان مجاهدين ; Dari : مجاهدین افغان ) were Islamist militant groups that fought against
4312-559: The country in 1989, after which the rebels' war against the communist Afghan government continued. The loosely-aligned mujahidin took the capital city of Kabul in 1992 following the collapse of the Moscow -backed government. However, the new mujahidin government that was formed by the Peshawar Accords following these events was quickly fractured by rival factions and became severely dysfunctional. This unrest quickly escalated into
4400-455: The cover of artillery fire, it was possible to clear all the approaches, and then, suppressing the enemy with artillery fire and aviation strikes, the main forces were brought in. Suppressing enemy firing points and capturing prisoners. During the operation, three people were killed: one was killed by a sniper, the second was blown up by a rebel mine, the third fell off a cliff and crashed into a gorge during night operations to capture heights. At
4488-445: The exiled king, Mohammed Zahir Shah , also caused divisions. Zahir Shah enjoyed considerable popularity among the Afghan refugees in Pakistan. Both Hekmatyar and Khalis were strongly against the king, while Gailani, Mojaddedi and Mohammadi supported an interim coalition with him. Rabbani and Sayyaf were initially against a role for the king, later changing their minds. Although the Afghan mujahidin were praised for bravery in resisting
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#17327805259584576-448: The former Afghan king, Mohammed Zahir Shah , would be an ideal "National Leader" in any coalition. However, Pakistan, which preferred a divided Afghan resistance, was against the return of the former king to Afghanistan, seeing it as a symbol of Afghan nationalism. There were seven major mujahidin groups as recognized by Pakistan and its allies, based in Peshawar and sometimes called the Peshawar Seven . They were often categorized into
4664-603: The fundamentalist and traditional; the fundamentalist factions were militarily stronger in the war. Some of the group leaders also acted as commanders, such as Khalis and Hekmatyar. The other notable mujahidin commanders were Ahmad Shah Massoud (Jamiat-i Islami), Abdul Haq (Hizb-i Islami Khalis), Ismail Khan (Jamiat-i Islami), Jalaluddin Haqqani (Hizb-i Islami Khalis), Amin Wardak (Mahaz-e Melli) and Mohammad Zabihullah (Jamiat-i Islami). The Afghan mujahideen were not
4752-456: The government with Soviet bombardment and logistical support. By the time Soviet forces completed their withdrawal, the Afghan government held only sixty urban centers and the Mujahidin controlled six entire provinces. However, the Mujahidin were unable to seize the country's major cities for several years, due to the lack of coordination between the various groups and the lack of heavy firepower necessary for such actions. The Afghan Army beat back
4840-488: The governments of Afghanistan and Pakistan signed the Geneva Accords , guaranteed by the United States and Soviet Union. This committed the Soviet Union to withdraw all its troops from Afghanistan by 15 February 1989. The withdrawal was conducted in two phases. The first half of the contingent was removed between 15 May and 16 August 1988, and the second half after 15 November 1988. As the Soviets withdrew, they left
4928-730: The group during this period was Osama bin Laden , who would later found al-Qaeda and mastermind the September 11 attacks on the United States. Other international fighters from the Indian subcontinent became involved in terrorist activities in Kashmir and against the states of Bangladesh and Myanmar during the 1990s. The mujahidin guerrillas fought a long and costly war against the Soviet military , which suffered heavy losses and withdrew from
5016-424: The international community, and sought representation in the United Nations and the Organisation of the Islamic Conference . The Afghan mujahidin also saw thousands of volunteers from various Muslim countries come to Afghanistan to aid the resistance. The majority of the international fighters came from the Arab world , and later became known as Afghan Arabs ; the most well-known Arab financier and militant of
5104-460: The lack of trust among the various leaders was a factor for the many disunited organizations. Numerous mujahideen commanders additionally regarded schools and its teachers as legitimate targets for attacks, with their justification being that the PDPA ’s leftist ideology was taught in educational institutions to students. The only party fighting the Soviets was the Harakat-i Inqilab-i Islami. The others were all fighting each other. The issue of
5192-424: The landing force is tantamount to its death. Based on the current situation, the command of the operation decided not to send troops to Lor Kokh, but to limit themselves to only some measures - to carefully mine the approaches to the mountain range, and the tops of the mountains were thoroughly re-processed by artillery. Between the rocky passages of Lor Koh in the valleys, reinforced barriers were set up to intercept
5280-443: The larger and more significant Sunni Islamic union collectively referred to as the "Peshawar Seven", based in Pakistan , and the smaller Shia Islamic union collectively referred to as the " Tehran Eight ", based in Iran ; as well as independent units that referred to themselves as "mujahidin". The "Peshawar Seven" alliance received heavy assistance from the United States ( Operation Cyclone ), Pakistan , Saudi Arabia , Turkey ,
5368-481: The main seven parties include the Sharafat Kuh Front in Farah Province and Harakat-e-Mulavi . Additionally a Baloch nationalist group operated called the Nimruz Front . The Settam-e-Melli was a small long-time splinter faction of the PDPA based in Badakhshan Province that fought against the regime and other Mujahidin. They were driven out of Panjshir Valley by Massoud's mujahidin forces in 1981. By 1983 its resistance seemed to have ceased as it appeared to join
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#17327805259585456-449: The midst of anarchy in Afghanistan. Supported by Pakistan and recruited from religious students from madrasas across the border, it won a highly effective military campaign against former Mujahidin factions in the civil war, gaining control and establishing the Islamic Emirate in 1996. Nearly all of the Taliban's original leadership fought in the Soviet–Afghan War for either the Hezb-i Islami Khalis or Harakat-i Inqilab-e Islami factions of
5544-404: The most territory, stretching from Herat in the west through the north to Badakhshan in the north-east. Harakat-i Inqilab also held a large amount of territory in the southern provinces, stretching from Nimroz to Logar . Hizb-i Islami Khalis had its stronghold around Nangarhar and Paktia , while Hizb-i Islami Gulbuddin held many pockets of territory throughout the country. The Mahaz-i-Milli
5632-450: The mujahidin. Following the exodus of Afghans to Pakistan in 1980, as many as 84 different resistance groups were formed in Peshawar. A coalition of the resistance with a united front for military activities was demanded by Afghan refugees during meetings in Peshawar in 1980. They, including tribal and community elders, former members of parliament and mujahidin commanders, met in several loya jirgas (traditional grand assembly) to solidify
5720-407: The new government and Mujahidin factions that rebelled against it. This meant that after 1992, various Mujahidin factions including the Shi'ite Hezb-i Wahdat continued to exist as militias rather than merely political parties, with many fighters being loyal to specific leaders. The Taliban is a puritanical movement that was formed in 1994, five years after the end of the Soviet–Afghan War and in
5808-431: The north side - Shaykh Razi Baba Canyon, in the north-west of the massif there is Kale-e Amani Canyon, in the west of the massif there is - Kale-e Kaneske Canyon Canyon). The Jare-e Ab Canyon faces southwest and joins the Kal-e-Kaneski Canyon at the top. In the south is the Tangira Canyon, the most water-bearing, but the Mujahideen usually did not use it in their tactics, since the canyon was the widest and most sufficient for
5896-399: The passage of enemy armored vehicles. In the south, and further in the east, there is the Khwaja Morad Canyon, located near the Khoja Morad temple. The Khoja-Morad canyon is connected with all the canyons of the mountain range. The Kal-e Kaneske canyon was the most powerful base in Sharafat Koh. It takes 35–40 minutes to overcome the path from the entrance to the end of the gorge. The mouth of
5984-514: The permanent staff was located. The premises intended for the command and the foreign adviser were detached. Some rooms were mined with surprise mines. In one of the caves, a trophy warehouse was discovered, as well as a lot of foreign literature in English and French. There were also at the base, separate rooms for prayer; kitchen-dining room, built by a small flowing lake, feeding with the waters of powerful springs. From this lake stretched many kilometers of flexible colored rubber hoses, they went up to
6072-400: The preliminary processing of the mountain slopes before the landing of the landing groups, thereby excluding the possibility of its defeat. There was not the required number of helicopters for landing and front-line aviation for cover. The most test task was to control the landing force that went into the mountains, and to a greater extent descended into the gorge - the loss of communication with
6160-444: The rebels to hold out for a long time. To capture Lor Koh, first of all, it was necessary to clear all the approaches to the base and suppress the firing points that targeted the sections of the gorge. It was extremely difficult to do this without loss. The advance along the mountain ranges in the direction of the base area, for the consistent capture of the dominant heights, was prevented by the oncoming heavy enemy fire. The landing of
6248-415: The rebels. It took five days, after which the divisions returned to the barracks. A few months later, the base in Lurkokh began to remind of itself again. The base area was almost daily subjected to bomb-assault and long-range artillery strikes, mining of the main gorges and approaches to them was constantly repeated. Nevertheless, Lor Koh again began to be used by the opposition as a united command post - on
6336-600: The resistance, liberate Afghanistan from the Soviet Union, topple the Kabul regime, and create a single political bloc. Mojaddedi took part in these, and the first jirga passed a resolution on February 21, 1980. The last round of the jirga in May 1980 set up the Islamic National Revolutionary Council, headed by Mohammad Omar Babrakzay as acting president. It advocated for a national, Islamic, and democratic republic. The pressure persuaded leaders of
6424-421: The rocks and into some caves. The availability of water provided the rebels with life. Upon completion of the operation and exit from the gorge, the base infrastructure was undermined and mined. From the description by the Afghan mujahideen: the actual name of the mountain range is Lor Koh, but the mujahideen themselves among themselves called it Sharafat Koh - the mountain of honor. Lor Koh is located southeast of
6512-512: The situation rapidly escalated to open rebellion. As early as February 2, 1979, it was reported that Afghan dissidents were receiving guerilla training across the border in Pakistan. The conflict reached a height during the Herat mutiny in March, in which a non-organized group of Afghan army mutineers from the 17th Division and the civilians rebelled and briefly overthrew the city garrison. The incident and subsequent air bombardment gave indications of
6600-521: The southwestern part of the Republic of Afghanistan in the Farah province. Detachments of Afghan mujahideen from the Lor Koh region carried out regular attacks on the highway and methodically increased their territory under their control. Various attempts were made by the command of the Soviet troops and the Afghan army to squeeze the rebel groups out of the gorge and leave the area. In 1980, the command of
6688-481: The summer of 1990, the Afghan government forces were on the defensive again, and by the beginning of 1991 the government controlled only 10 percent of Afghanistan. In March 1991, Mujahidin forces captured the city of Khost ending an eleven-year siege. After the failed coup d'état attempt by hardliners in the Soviet Union in August 1991, Soviet support to Najibullah's government dried up. This effectively doomed it, as
6776-533: The tribal Revolutionary Council an "enemy". Because of disunity, elders from western Afghanistan attempted to hold a loya jirga, citing that party politics disunited the resisting Afghans. Political Islamists warned against people attending the jirga, but it was held safely in September 1981 in Pishin, Pakistan , consisting of tribal elders, the Ulama, and military officers. Elders native from Nangarhar proposed that
6864-458: The unit did not stop, taking on a regular character, and led to human casualties. The command of the 5th Infantry Division again faced the need to eliminate the rebel detachments and capture the base area of Lurkokh. Much later, Lurkokh again fell into the field of view of the command of the 40th Army, the rebel detachments operating in the Lor Kokh gorge became more active at the end of 1985, then
6952-504: The war against the invaders. However, women in Afghanistan were split between the two sides, with many also supporting the Democratic Republic where they enjoyed social privileges. Female refugees also created and recited Landays (traditional Afghan poems) about the war. There is one recorded female mujahidin warlord, Bibi Ayesha (nicknamed Kaftar , meaning "dove"), who operated in Baghlan Province . On 14 April 1988,
7040-565: The war effort and even coordinate air strikes. Soviet volunteers operated the Scud missiles which gave the government an advantage in firepower. The Afghan Air Force, supplied and maintained with Soviet support, proved to be a crucial asset in keeping the government in power. As late as December 1991, Soviet pilots were recorded flying bombing missions against the Mujahidin. The Mujahidin's divisions and factionalism hindered their war effort, and skirmishes between rival groups became common. Massoud
7128-659: The years, there were various efforts to create a united front, but all were either non-effective or failed in a short time. At least three different iterations of an "Islamic Unity of Afghan Mujahedin" (IUAM) were tried, none of which lasted. The formation of the Afghanistan Interim Government (AIG) in 1988 also failed to promote unity. Additionally, it only included the select Sunni Muslim groups approved by Pakistan; Shi'ite groups backed by Iran and pro-Chinese (anti-Soviet) leftist groups were excluded. Mujahideen leader Mohammad Yunus Khalis thought that
7216-422: Was Headed by traditionalist Sibghatullah Mojaddedi , with orthodox Abdul Rasul Sayyaf as prime minister, the AIG represented itself as a government in exile and a legitimate incoming state following the Soviet withdrawal. The two individuals proved popular, despite not being leaders of major groups, with Sayyaf said to have had exceptional ability in solving issues. However, the AIG was weak, as it only included
7304-533: Was also known as the "Afghan resistance", and the Western press widely referred to the Afghan guerrillas as "freedom fighters", or "Mountain Men". The militants of the Afghan mujahidin were recruited and organized immediately after the Soviet Union invaded Afghanistan in 1979, initially from the regular Afghan population and defectors from the Afghan military , with the aim of waging an armed struggle against both
7392-719: Was either unable or unwilling to help the Afghan Maoists. Majid Kalakani , a prominent figure and leader of the Liberation Organization of the People of Afghanistan (SAMA), was executed by the Afghan regime in June 1980. Members of Shola-e Javid ("Eternal Flame") were involved in fighting the government and mujahidin (particularly Hezb-i Islami ). The Babrak Karmal government arrested many of its members in June 1981. Smaller mujahidin groups not connected to
7480-410: Was necessary to clear the areas of the gorge under fire. It was impossible to do this without losses from the Soviet side. The Soviet paratroopers could not move along the mountain ranges in order to occupy the dominant heights - they ran into a wall of heavy oncoming fire. The landing directly at Lor Koh was also not possible, since there was not enough force for this. There was not enough artillery for
7568-469: Was one of the most active elements in this time. In both 1990 and 1991 he staged spring offensives, capturing several cities and steadily expanding the territory under his influence. The government meanwhile came to rely heavily on tribal militias to stay in power, primarily the Jowzjani militia of Abdul Rashid Dostum. After 1989, these were the only forces capable of offensives against the Mujahidin. By
7656-537: Was prominent in Loya Paktia but also had territory in other parts of the country. As Soviet forces withdrew in 1988–89, the Mujahidin captured several key districts, towns and provincial capitals, such as Taloqan , Mahmud Raqi , Asadabad , Bamyan , Spin Boldak , Dara-i-Suf and Imam Sahib . The cities of Kunduz , Qalat , and Maidan Shahr also fell to the Mujahidin in the summer of 1988, but were retaken by
7744-414: Was the entire territory bordering with Iran - the provinces of Herat, Farah, Helmand. At the stage of the beginning of the military operation, it was proposed to mine all the entrances and exits to the gorge, enclosing the rebels in a so-called bag, and keeping them in the zone of constant destruction of Soviet artillery and aviation. The command of the Afghan army had a different opinion: they offered to make
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