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The Afghan War
The Afghan War
—Photo by RichardMackenz ie
some onto their backs and strapping
others onto the few horses and don-
keys they had on hand, heading for
positions.
A Clear Victory
The battle was scheduled to begin
shortly after 6:00 a.m., but half an Rebel leader Ahmad Shah Massoud, gesturing at right, briefs his troops minutes
hour before that, an enemy soldier before the battle at Keran. In a scant forty minutes, his rebels overran the Afghan
army base, capturing more than 300 government soldiers and inflicting twenty-nine
walked out of his barracks and casualties. Massoud's careful preparations held his losses to fourteen mujahedeen
headed toward an open area used as killed and eleven injured. Other government bases up the valley were later taken
a lavatory. When he unexpectedly without firing a shot.
came upon a squad of mujahedeen
who had slipped into a garden at the pected, were prepared to fight to the eleven others injured. But the Sovi-
edge of the perimeter, he sounded last man. Above all, they feared et-backed forces got the worst of
an alarm, and the battle com- what would happen to them if they things by far. For their part, govern-
menced. were captured alive. They are so ment troops lost twenty-nine killed,
Above, on a mountainside, Mas- hated by Afghans at large for their with more than 300 taken captive.
soud's heavy-weapons men were atrocities and torture that they knew The attack was supposed to be
still struggling as they tried to haul what kind of end they could expect only the first of a series of assaults
guns into the prearranged spots. to meet. "They fight to the last bul- on Soviet-supported forces in the
Even so, reluctant to sacrifice the let," says one guerrilla, "and keep area. But other bases operated by
tactical initiative, Massoud gave the that for themselves." Afghan militia further up the valley
order to attack—though he realized Help in the form of Soviet air- were less of a challenge. To take
that fewer than half the heavy weap- power never came. Toward the close them, Massoud sent an elderly local
ons were where they should be. of the fighting, two MiGs roared resident with a letter, offering to
"God is great!" he cried into a high overhead, obscured in part by treat them well if they surrendered.
two-way radio, and the valley ex- thick clouds. The guerrillas glanced About half did. The remainder fled.
ploded with bullets, rockets, and up nervously and waited. The Today, Soviet fortunes have
tracer shells. sounds continued for a some sec- come full circle in the war in Af-
The Army base fell in forty min- onds before they passed on by, their ghanistan. They began by establish-
utes. As mujahedeen raced across pilots apparently oblivious to the ing a static defense around key
the valley floor, following paths they defeat being administered below. bases and important roads. When
had been told were clear of mines, Mohammad Karim Jalili, the Sting- that didn't work, they began to ven-
only a few of the Afghan conscripts er operator, simply shrugged, disap- ture out, as in the attacks on the
inside the main base put up any sort pointed at the missed opportunity. Panjshir. But by 1987, they were
of a fight. Bedraggled, shocked, Despite some shortcomings, the figuratively back in their bunkers
without spirit, and with no fight in operation represented a clear victo- again, looking for a way out.
them, most threw down their weap- ry for the partisans. A total of four- The Battle of Keran helps to ex-
ons. In the midst of what battle teen mujahedeen were killed and plain why. •
there was, the commander of the
base fled. Richard Mackenzie, a native of Australia, has been a senior writer for Insight
Gunfire continued around the magazine since 1985. Mr. Mackenzie spent three and one-half months in
area held by the Khad men. These Afghanistan in late 1987. He returned to the Afghan camps on the Pakistan
armed intelligence forces, as ex- border this spring.