Soviet Invasion - Afghan Resistence

By mid -1980s the Afghan resistance movement towards the Soviet Union began with receiving assistance from the United States, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, the United Kingdom, and China.

In the Muslim world, the Afghan Arabs who thought it was their duty to eliminate the non-believing communists were led by the Saudi Osama bin Laden, who created the Al-Qaeda. Another Group fighting against the Soviet Union was the Mujahedeen.

In the course of the guerilla war, leadership was associated with the term “Commander”, which meant he was the one in charge and in control, but unfortunately, the differences of religion and ethnicity, caused a lot of disagreements between them, and Afghanistan’s resistance movement faced chaos.

Mujahedeen mobilization in non-Pashtun regions faced various obstacles. Before the invasion, few non-Pashtuns possessed weapons. Early in the war, they were available from army troops who defected or were ambushed. The international arms market and foreign support used to reach the minority areas last, but they overcame all obstacles and fought against the Soviet Union. Even the Persian and Turkish speaking regions of Afghanistan, who lacked a political representation, were able to create their own organizations to operate the Soviet Union in Afghanistan.

The Mujahedeen leaders paid great attention to sabotage (damage) operations. The more common types of sabotage were damaging power lines, blowing up government office buildings, and attacking convoys. They assassinated government officials and PDPA member. The Mujahedeen also used land mines heavily.

Mujahedeen would often launch 800 rockets per day. Between April 1985 and January 1987, they carried out over 23, 500 shelling rockets on government targets.

Mujahedeen chose firing positions near villages within the range of Soviet posts. The villagers, even children covered up for them.

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