:tan 1/0335 1.985 JAMIAT -I- ISLAMI AFGHANISTAN POLITICAL OFFICE, G.P.O. BOX 264, PESHAWAR TEL. 41664 AFGHAN NEWS No, 1 1-2-1985 P-3 ISMAIEL OF HERAT - r 198t was a scene of intensified fighting between Soviet- Karmal and Mujandeen forces all over Afghanistan, especially in Panjshir, Herat, Kabul, Kandahar and Mazar Sharif etc. Although reports of fighting in Herat province are slow inrea- ching Peshawar the Mujahideen of Herat, under Commander IsmaelKhan of Jamiat, have been able to send their reports regularly. Last week. Ismaeil Than himself went. to Iran.to' give the latest news,. on Herat. In an hour long telephone conversation withprof.Bur- hanuddin Rabbani, leader óf Jamiat Islami Afghanistan, IsmaeilKhan said "that the Russians have been brutally attacking thecivilian population of Herat throughout 1984, The Russians have deliberately wrecked irrigation systems , burned cìbps and decimated livestock inan effort to starve out civilians who support Mujahideen. Commander Ismaeil said that the Russians, along with their puppets, using this tactic,have been le to drive some of the Civilians out of Afghanistan to Iran or displace them to the neighbouring provinces. He mentioned that the. food situation in Herat isvery serious worse than last year. He said lack of`foed,medicine and clothes will 'jeopardize civilian lives and endanger Mujahideen bases. He has assured prof.Burhanuddin Rabbani about the organization of the Mujahideen and their morale, Ismael Khan was highly concerned about thenew Soviet increase pf forces on the Iran -Afghanistan border and said that thepurpose of his trip is to warn the concerned authorities ofIran about Soviet activities on their border. In an interview with the BBC Commander Ismael Khan said that the `Russians are now usingmore air bombardments, long-- range,artillary and 40)barreled RM 21s (Stalin organ) In orderto discourage Mujahideen operations. and drive civilians out. He said,that two months back the Russians launched their offensive No,8, which resulted in the death of150 civilians in the city of Herat. He said that Mujahideen have extended theiroperations in the city and have been able to limit the enemy's control toan area of less tha 15km. He said that the municiplity building has beencaptured by Mujah- ideen too and that the government battali h -61was also captured with about 500 weapons. Commander Ismaeil said that the 12000 soldiers of theHerat divi- 'si án, have been reduced to 1400. He said thatthere are 35 Russian advisors in the mentioned division who will not take the riskof ... AFGHAN NEWS No. '`1 1 -2 -1983 P -4 } i ---Iwo of staying with 1,100 Afghan soldiers at night. Hesaid that the Russians live.s eparately and donot allow any Afghan soldiers to roam around their division. The Russians stay in the southern part of HeratAirport in a flat and deserted plain called Dashti MirDaood. Ismael Khan did -not know the number of theRussian troops staing _in Herat but he said that the Russiansare staying in three bases located in three different and strategicallyvery important areas. While talking about the food situationsand the people's economic conditions he pointed out that the Russianshave to a large extent destroyed the economic structure of thepeople. The enemy think that poverty wi1"ring people into the govern - ment's hand,it is why the Russianshave completely burned the crops and looted people's properties. Replying to a question regardingarms and ammunition he said that Mujahid weapons are mostly capturedand they are in need of more adva- nced, sophisticated and effectiveweapons. He said that Iran is not providingarms and ammunition to his Mujahideen. In replying. to another questionwhether Mujahideen want to receive. arms. frorn Iran or nothe answered "yes why not ". He added that we.want arms notjust from Iran but from all Islamic countries. When asked whether Mujahideenhave received any financial aid from Iran? he answered, "notso far ".. S iiIRAGHA C.HU'NGUR. MII:,ITIA COMMANDER is killec7. Shiragha Chungor a strong governmentmilitia Commander was assa- ssinated by Mujahideen of HeratOn Jan. 22nd. Shiragha Chungor was actively fighting againstenemy forces in the begining of Jehad. He was in control of Eestern part of` the city ofHerat and for about a year or more he organized Mujahidgroups. in that area. He was a comma- nct-cfr-?.cf:.-HarakEdInqulabiIslami of Mawlavi Mohammadi unti he joined the Soviet- Karmal troops. For more than three years ShiraghaChungur was a dark part of Communist militia groups. Hewas supported. by Soviet tanks and helped by government soldiers while attackingMujahideen bases and destroying civilian houses. Shiragha's deathis a great loss for the Russians and a great gain for Mujahideen", Ismael Khan saidwith Shiragha's death, the Russians and their puppetswill no longer have a base ,for "infilt- ration or a source for attackingMujahideen. AFGHAN NEWS No. i 1-2-1985 A Jamiat representative in Mashhad telephoned the following message to us in Peshawar: While Shiragha, with a Russian advisor was visiting some of his wounded militiagroups in the hospital in .erat city, he was assassinated by a Mujahid named/ Abdullah o 31amiwtí -ti, The. assassination was planned so efficiently that both Shiragha and his Russian advisor were shot dead in a surprise attack. Abdulah escaped unharmed. According to a report telephoned from Tehran soon after Shiragha Chungur's death On 2nd Jan, 75 villages previously controlled byehim were liberated by Mujahideen of Herat. It is reliably reported 'that Mujahideen entered the villages and were warmly received by the-civil- fans. The report says that Mujahideen captured about 550 different kinds o- of weapons and much ammunii; ion from these villages. It is said that 300 armed militias joined Mujahideen and 50 others were captured alive. A report from Mashhad says that immediately after Shiragha's death the Russians deserted many of the outposts in fear of being disarmed or captured by Mujahideen. According to the same reports 24 MIGs, along with four helicopters air raided the villages of the western part of the city of Herat such as Housi- Karbaz, Braman, Shalbafan,Paymunar, Babajy, Hawada, Abdul Walid and Diwandcha. No casualties have been reported. The above mentioned villages are mostly the bases and hideouts of Mujahideen of Herat. However, theyare often bombarded by the enemy but still the majority civilians have not been evacuated . MASSACRE IN CHARDARA In, retaliation to the death of a Russian officer killed bya mine planted in his way by Mujahideen , the Russians attacked Chardara Dist - rict of Kunduz province. According toa report on 23 Dec. 84, at 2 p.m the Russians captured the villages of Giraw QQushlaq, Wardak and Khogi- ani to search for Mujahideen. As they were not able to find any the Russian started killing defe- nseless civilians including the children ,old_men and women of these villages. The report says that more than 400 people were killed and many others wounded. According to an eyewitness., most of the houses of Chardara District were destroyed and the property of the people was either burnt or looted,Ayt present no one lives in the area because of this barbaric and inhuman behaviour of the Russians has forced them to leave their villages for the neighbouring areas. AFGHAN NEWS No. 1 1-2-1985 Pa..6 A REPORT FROM PANJSHIR VALLEY Enemy forces oomposed of 200 tanksand trucks, which wanted to reinforce the Soviet-DRA base in Pushghour,failed to cross the Shaba bridge and retreated to Rukha. Onthe way back it was ambushed in lNal- aspa (a village in Bazarak)as a result of which ten tanks were dest- royed and 50 soldierswere killed One P.K. heavy machingun, two AK+74 guns and some ammunition and food were captured. 25-1 -8 A DRA officer with 14 soldiers killedthree Parchami officers in one of outposts of Pushghour and joined Mujahideen.They brought with them theirweapons. LOGER PROVINCE According to a report from Logara series of minor operations had been launched by Mi jahideenof the area on the ere of the anniv- ersary of the Soviet invasion inAfghanistan. Logar is a province neighbouring Kabuland most of the rural gue- rrillasof the southern part ofKabul are based in:the -upper partof this province. About 18 provincesof Afghanistan take their supplies through Logar. Stratigicallyspeaking Logar can put great pressure on the Kabul- Kandahar road, whichis one of the amain enemy supply routes. This is why Logar has been , and is very important both for the enemy and Mujahideen. 1)- According to thereport two armoured_ Soviet tanks were destroyed by Anti - tank mines which hadbeen planted on the main road of Puli Alarm In retaliation, theenemy forces attacked the villages in and aro- und Puli Alam which resulted in the total destruction of the vil- lagers like Patkhuah. and KatabKhil. The report says thatsome of civilians including children, oa1d men andiwomenwere killed. 2)A, Russian convoy on its return to Kabulwas ambushed by the Mujahideen at Pull Alam in which fourtanks and APCs were destroyed and a heavy machin gun (DSCHK)was captured, No casualtys have been reported. 3)- On 22.Dec.84, Karmal-Russian forces entered Kolangararea of Logar to make a house to housesearch in order to capture Mujahideen or to find out their contact houses.Reports says that Mujahideen of the area started their counter-attackwhich lasted for three hours and resulted in the injury or death ofabout 10 Soviet- Karpial soldiers. Six Mujahids were reportedlymartyred and three seriously injured. .AFGHAN NEWS No. 1 1-2-1985 P-7 r The house to house search has been one of the main tactics of the Soviet and Karmal soldiers since the communist take over in 1978.,The most brutal part of this tactic is that when they come to search Mujahideen they kill old men and women including their child- ren because: (a)they can not escape while the enemy is searching the area.