Due to the security leaks during the course of preparation for the operation, some combat missions had to be amplified and changed. The new concept required that the 2nd Afghan Battalion would exit the fortress and occupy the heights around Post 21. From there, if necessary, they could support the Soviet motorized rifle company which would independently sweep the villages of Tal’khana and Dashtak. Following this, the two units would switch roles while the Afghan battalion swept Turkha.

Map 8: Afghan and Soviet forces sweep villages.

At the designated time, the 150-man Afghan battalion exited the fortress. It reached Post 21 in an hour and a half. The Soviet company swept the villages of Tal’khana and Dashtak. No mujahideen were discovered during the sweep, but a hidden mujahideen rest station with a small supply of food and anti-Soviet leaflets was discovered.

The battalion reached the village of Turkha on the evening of 29 October. Observers at Post 20 had seen mujahideen moving through Turkha the day before. On the morning of 30 October, the battalion searched the village. There, they found a few flintlock muskets and an AK-74. That evening, the battalion returned to the Bazarak fortress where they rested.

On the morning of 31 October, following joint planning between the Afghan battalion commander and the Soviet motorized rifle regiment commander, the forces set out to search the villages of Sata, Kalatak, and Kishlak. The plan was that the Afghan battalion would enter the canyon and search the villages sequentially. The canyon was controlled by two ridges which rimmed the canyon. It was necessary to put a Soviet battalion onto each of these ridges. Once they reached the crest of the ridge, the Soviet battalions would dominate the high ground and could support the Afghan battalion. The artillery was ready to open fire from protected positions within the fortresses.

At noon, the Afghan battalion began to sweep the canyon as the Soviet battalions began to mount the ridges. Combat engineers moved in front of the sweeping Afghan forces. As the Afghan battalion attempted to enter Kishlak to search it, they were met with strong small arms, mortar and heavy machine-gun fire. Simultaneously, both the Soviet battalions became trapped in minefields. The enemy opened fire on the Soviet battalions from ambush and inflicted heavy casualties on them. Neither battalion was able to get into a position to support the Afghan battalion. The Afghan battalion also took heavy casualties and by nightfall was forced to withdraw to Bazarak village.

Frunze Commentary: This combat example shows that a good plan is only as good as its skillful implementation. This operation was thoroughly planned, however it was not able to overcome its inherent problems. It began with the security leaks. Further, our intelligence picture of mujahideen strength and their lines of communication was poorly developed. The enemy knew the scheme of maneuver for our Afghan and Soviet forces well in advance and was able to adjust the situation by maneuvering his forces into threatened sectors or away from planned strikes.

When conducting a sweep over such an extensive area, a commander cannot relax, even for a minute. The enemy lulled our forces from vigilance to complacency by secretly withdrawing from the first villages prior to our sweep. Then, they initiated combat at the time and place of their own choosing. Communications was a problem throughout the operation. This led to a loss of control and a loss of current information on the status and situation of the subunits. Coordination between the Afghan battalion and the supporting artillery was unsatisfactorily organized.

Editor’s Commentary: The main lesson in this vignette is do not move a ground force where you cannot cover it by air or artillery fire. Radio communications are very difficult in the mountains, but uninterrupted radio communications with supporting artillery or aviation is essential for survival. Radio retransmission points on mountain tops or aircraft are a solution. The ground forces were moving without adequate flank, forward and rear security. Consequently, both Soviet battalions bogged down in minefields and left the Afghan battalion stranded. The Afghan battalion moved its main body into restrictive terrain without first clearing it and assuring that the Soviet battalions were securing its flanks and providing overwatch. The further lack of available airpower to overwatch the Afghan battalion sealed their fate.

9. Sweeping a potential ambush area

by Captain I. P. Tereshchenko²¹

By 1985, the mujahideen had become masters of stubbornly retaining highly defensible areas and attacking our forces with ambushes. This changed the combat missions of the subunits and units of the Soviet forces. Our main missions became blocking and sweeping mountain canyons and populated areas, providing convoy escort, and participating in tactical air assaults which would seize important objectives.

Our motorized rifle battalion received the combat mission to sweep a region bordering on the village of Tagab. Intelligence reports indicated that a sizable guerrilla force was active in this area. We prepared and trained our force thoroughly for this action at our base camp. My battalion commander planned to search the region with one of our companies which would air assault into the region on helicopters.

Map 9: Sweeping a potential ambush zone with an MRC, 25 May 1985.

At 0800 in the morning on 25 May 1985, the 8th Motorized Rifle Company airlanded in a area close to the village of Tagab. The company commander sent one platoon ahead as his forward patrol and moved the rest of his company around the high ground of hill #1. The patrolling platoon reached a clearing. The platoon leader reported that the area across the clearing looked like a place where ambushes might be laid. The company commander ordered him to form a platoon line and sweep forward. The mujahideen, thinking that they had been discovered, opened fire. The company commander decided to maneuver the rest of his company to encircle the enemy and hit him on the flank. It took the company a half hour to maneuver into position. By that time the enemy had broken contact and withdrawn. The company swept the area but was unable to find the enemy.

Frunze Commentary: When conducting a complete sweep of unfamiliar terrain, you must have reconnaissance. All further combat actions of your subunits must be provided with reconnaissance and security elements. Further, you must seize the dominant terrain before you begin your sweep. Raiding groups are ideal for this function. Finally, in order to conduct a successful sweep, and destroy the enemy, you have to fix the enemy in place through combat to his front while simultaneously encircling or flanking him.

10. Blocking, sweeping and destroying the mujahideen in the Varduj Valley

by Major S. V. Krutyakov²²

At the beginning of June 1985, the Najmuddin guerrilla force set up its headquarters near the village of Jurm in the Varduj Valley. This guerrilla force consisted of approximately 500 men and were well-armed and equipped – to include three mountain guns, eight to ten mortars, and communications systems. The local populace strongly supported Najmuddin and disliked the Afghan government. We received intelligence reports that a caravan had arrived at the village. The authorities decided to destroy the guerrilla headquarters, capture the caravan and seize supply caches.

My 1st Motorized Rifle Battalion was assigned the mission to insert two companies and a mortar battery on the night of 4–5 June to establish blocking positions on the east and west walls of the valley.²³ Then, my remaining company would join the 2nd Infantry Battalion of the Afghan Army and conduct a sweep north up the valley. The sweep would seize supply caches and draft young men on the spot into the Afghan army. My battalion was supported by a D-30 122mm howitzer battery and a battery of BM-21 “GRAD” multiple rocket launchers.