Panjshir Gorge is a deep mountain valley located in the north-east of Afghanistan. From 1980 to 1984, several military operations were conducted here with the participation of Soviet troops during the 1979-1989 war in Afghanistan.
Name history
Panjshirsky gorge is known from the beginning of the XI century. In the literal translation from Afghan, its name means "five lions." So in those days they called the governors of the powerful sultan Mahmud Ghaznevi, who ruled in these places. He was a padishah and an emir of the state of the Ghaznavids at the turn of the X-XI centuries. According to legend, these governors in one night built a dam across the Panjshir River, which still exists. Locals believe that deep and strong faith helped them in this.
Panjshir is a fairly large river, which is one of the main tributaries of the Kabul river. Included in the Indus basin. The Panjshir valley is located along the famous Hindu Kush mountain range. Its area is about 3.5 thousand square kilometers. The average altitude exceeds 2, 200 meters above sea level. Peak points are at 6 thousand meters above sea level. The center of the Panjershe gorge is the village of Rukh. The elders of the province were based here.
The value of the gorge
The gorges are of great strategic importance. It especially manifested itself during the Afghan war. The fact is that the river valley, which flows through the gorge, divides Afghanistan into northern and southern parts.
It is here that the most successful and convenient passes from one part of the country to another are located. The terrain at the same time consists of a complex system of rivers and tributaries that pass through the gorges. Therefore, they serve as an excellent natural refuge during hostilities. The valley turns into an impregnable fortress, organically suitable for conducting military operations by partisan detachments.
The Panjshir Gorge was of strategic importance during the war against the communist regime in 1975, and then during the confrontation with Soviet troops during the 10-year war.
During the entire time that the Soviet Union held troops in this Asian country, the gorge to which this article is devoted remained the hottest spot on the entire map of Afghanistan. It was here that the most fierce battles took place, it was here that the Soviet troops suffered the greatest losses of personnel. For many Soviet soldiers and officers, Panjshir remained a nightmare for the rest of his life.
Fierce fighting
Resistance in this territory was led by the influential Afghan field commander Ahmad Shah Masood. Much attention was paid to the Salang pass, which was commonly called the "throat of Kabul". It was here that the route from Hairaton to Kabul ran. It was considered a key highway for truck convoys that delivered civilian and military cargo to Afghanistan from the USSR.
In the early years of the war, the so-called second Muslim battalion, created on the basis of the 177th separate special-purpose detachment, was deployed near the village of Rukh. In total, it included a thousand people.
Since 1984, 682 motorized rifle regiments were based, numbering about one and a half thousand military men. In total, nine large-scale operations were carried out against the partisan detachments of Ahmad Shah Masoud. Many eyewitnesses of those events recalled that the Panjursh Gorge was the most difficult situation. The partisans were able to regularly repel the advance of the Soviet troops.
Tension in this part of the country continued after the withdrawal of the Soviet army in 1989. First, the confrontation with the regime of the Afghan president from 1987 to 1992 by Mohammad Najibullah, and later with the Taliban. The Islamist movement that originated in Afghanistan in 1994 among Pashtuns.
Gorge population
The population of this valley, which formed the basis of the Panjshir province, was estimated at about 100 thousand people. Such data were cited in the mid-80s, when Soviet troops conducted active hostilities there.
All these people were dispersed over 200 settlements. At the moment, there is no accurate population data. According to various estimates, from 150 to 300 thousand people live in the gorge. These are mainly Afghan Tajiks. In general, there are a lot of Tajiks in Afghanistan. According to some reports, from 11 to 13 million people, which is one third of the total population of the country. This is the second largest nation in Afghanistan.
Panjshir is a historical habitat of Afghan Tajiks. Here they live 99%. The gorge has developed lithium and emerald mining. The main attraction is the mausoleum of Ahmad Shah Masud.
Confrontation with the troops of Masouda
By 1979, when the Afghan war began, all units of the Afghan government were finally knocked out of the gorge. It was under the absolute control of the field commander Ahmad Shah Masoud. Later, he even received the nickname Panjshur lion.
In 1979, a new leader came to power in the country, Secretary General of the People's Democratic Party of Afghanistan Babrak Karmal. He demanded the immediate restoration of state power in all provinces. On this basis, government troops, with the support of a limited contingent of Soviet troops in Afghanistan, participated in combat operations to liberate settlements under the control of the rebels.
The Panjshir Gorge area was one of the most problematic in this regard. The geography of Afghanistan was such that access here by road was severely limited due to the difficult mountain landscape. The only road led through the city of Gulbahor. However, it was not easy to take advantage of it, since Masoud's group offered serious resistance. In addition, Masoud himself was a local resident. This allowed him to better navigate the terrain and receive support from Aboriginal people.
In addition, this gorge was the optimal transport corridor for the supply of weapons from Pakistan and the organization of training bases by the rebels.
The fate of Masouda
Thus, in fact, Ahmad Shah Masood became one of the main opponents of the Soviet troops throughout the entire 10-year stay in Afghanistan. It is worth noting that he was born into a Tajik family.
In 1973, after a coup, he was forced to emigrate to Pakistan. There he joined the Islamist opposition, led by Burhanuddin Rabbani.
In 1975, he took part in a failed uprising against the dictator Muhammad Daoud. Then he fought against the Soviet troops and President Karmal.
After the withdrawal of the army, the USSR actually became the ruler of Masudistan. This is a self-proclaimed state, which included the provinces in northeast Afghanistan. The capital was organized in the center of Tahar province - Talukan. Masudistan had its own government, about 2.5 million people, mainly Tajiks, their own currency and a 60, 000-strong army.
In 1992, the Masoud army entered Kabul. After that, Rabbani became the president of Afghanistan, and Masoud received the portfolio of the Minister of Defense. However, after the fall of the Soviet regime, Masud had to confront Gulbuddin Hekmatyar. In 1994, about four thousand civilians died as a result of the fighting for control of Kabul, and the city itself was significantly destroyed.
Yet in 1996, the Taliban seized power in Afghanistan, and Masudistan became part of the Northern Alliance, which was led by Masood.
It is known that since 1999, Masood has collaborated with American intelligence. As a result, in 2001 he was killed during an attempt by a suicide bomber. He introduced himself as a journalist, and hid the bomb in a video camera. According to some reports, Massoud was killed on the orders of bin Laden because of ties with the Americans.
Panjshir operations
The first panjshir operation took place in 1980. The fighting began on April 9th. Masoud's headquarters was destroyed, but the retreating rebels could not be pursued. Due to the terrain, heavy equipment could not pass. This was one of the first successes of the Soviet troops in Afghanistan. Panjshirskoe gorge then did not seem so impregnable.
The results of the operation were recognized as successful. Masoud's group was broken, he fled, seriously injured.
However, for inexplicable reasons, the Soviet troops decided not to leave their battalions in the occupied villages. As a result, they were soon again in the hands of the restored Masoud partisans.
Armistice with Masood
Masoud was one of those Afghan field commanders who willingly went to a truce with the Soviet units. The first truce was concluded immediately after the completion of the 1980 military operation.
Masood promised not to attack the Soviet and government forces, in turn, they promised not to provide air and artillery support in the event of clashes between Masoud’s detachments and the Islamic Party of Afghanistan, led by Hekmatyar.
Another truce was reached at the turn of 1982-1983.
