Tank Battles of the Cold War, 19481991 by Anthony Tucker-Jones;

Author:Anthony Tucker-Jones;
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: HISTORY / Modern / 20th Century
Publisher: Casemate Publishers & Book Distributors, LLC
Published: 2021-06-29T00:00:00+00:00

The rising Soviet death toll in Afghanistan and the influence of public opinion back home finally began to affect Soviet policy. President Mikhail Gorbachev announced in mid-1986 a limited withdrawal as a sign of good will in the ongoing peace negotiations. This move naturally concerned the Afghan President Najibullah and was met with scepticism by the West. This view was reinforced in October 1986 when units with no tactical value pulled out. Nonetheless, Gorbachev made it clear he wanted to leave Afghanistan as soon as possible.

In the face of an imminent Soviet withdrawal, the Afghan government decided that it must at all costs avoid the loss of Khost and sever the rebels’ supply routes. Ostensibly an Afghan operation, the relief was commanded by Major General Shahnawaz Tani (although he was to be subordinate to the Soviets) and Interior Minister Major General Mohammed Gulabzoi. On the Soviet side, General Valentin Varennikov, Senior Military Adviser to Kabul, oversaw the operation, with operational control in the hands of Lieutenant General Boris Gromov, commander of the Soviet 40th Army.

The drive on Khost had to be forced along 122 kilometres of guerrilla-infested road, through the Satu Kandau Pass and down the Zadran valley. The Mujahideen, although lacking heavy weapons, had plenty of rocket-propelled grenades to make the passage of the relief force highly dangerous. The outlying Afghan Army posts in the area – consisting of Tora Ghara mountain, Badam Bagh, Khost air base, Sinaki and Nadar Shah Kot fort, all of which were directed by Soviet advisers – were all awkward to defend.

Initially employing only Afghan troops, the offensive commenced on 18 November 1987 but immediately ran into tough resistance in the Shamal Valley and elsewhere along the route. With the Soviets providing air support, on 24 November the Afghans captured positions in Ghalgai, Dara, Makhuzu, Sarooti Kandau and Shini Ghakhe. A month later, on 28 December, the Soviets claimed to be within 9 kilometres of Khost, while the guerrillas claimed to have halted them some 48 kilometres away. That same day a further attack on Saranai failed and Soviet paratroops lost sixty-three men as they withdrew, hotly pursued by the vengeful Mujahideen. The Khost garrison again attempted to break out, reaching Ismail Khel 10 kilometres to the west, before being driven back once more.

Khost was finally relieved on 30 December 1987 when trucks bearing 4,500 tonnes of supplies rumbled into the town. By 20 January some 400 trucks had got through, bringing 18,000 tonnes of much-needed provisions. This operation cost the Afghan and Soviet Armies dearly. According to the Mujahideen, between 18 and 29 December 1987 the Afghan Army lost 1,000 dead, possibly 2,000 wounded and 346 taken prisoner. Approximately 110 armoured vehicles were destroyed, including forty-seven tanks, as well as seven aircraft. The Soviets suffered very heavy casualties by normal standards, with at least 900 killed and wounded. Reports of Mujahideen casualties ranged from 150 to 1,500 dead, with possibly 2,000 wounded. Ironically, as soon as the bulk of the government/Soviet relief force withdrew from Khost, the Mujahideen simply resumed their blockade.

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