Battle of Jaji
Encyclopedia
The Battle of Jaji occurred in May 1987, during the first stage of withdrawal of Soviet forces from their invasion of Afghanistan
. Remaining Soviet troops supported the Soviet-backed government
's operations in Paktia Province
against the Mujahideen
, hoping to relieve a besieged garrison at Ali Sher, and cut off supply lines to the Mujahideen from Pakistan
.
The Mujahideen al-Masada ("Lion's Den") compound had been constructed by Osama bin Laden
, in order to have a training facility that didn't rely on Pakistan.
On May 20, after Ali Sher had been relieved, Jaji was attacked by approximately 200 Soviet Airborne Troops, Spetznaz, the Soviet-backed Afghan Army and tribal militias.
The Mujahideen army was estimated from as low as 50 members, to numbering "in the thousands", having drawn recruits from the surrounding area, including forces from all seven of the resistance parties
. Among the leaders were Jalaluddin Haqqani
and Mohammed Anwar, whose experienced troops were carrying Stinger
and Blowpipe missile
s that threatened Soviet gunships. Enaam Arnaout
also participated, identifying himself to Arab press as "Abu Mahmoud, from Syria", and he was photographed alongside Bin Laden and quoted as saying that the Soviets had dropped napalm
, destroying the trees that the Mujahideen had hoped to use for fortifications. Essam al-Ridi
, an American who participated in the battle, later claimed that as many as 50 Mujahideen had been killed and only 2 Soviets, disillusioning him. During the battle, Abu Ubaidah al-Banshiri
and Mohammed Atef
both led raids which encircled the Soviet siege, ambushing them outside the encampment, al-Banshiri being shot in the leg during one excursion.
Others participating in the battle included Abdullah Azzam and his son Hutaifa, Abu Khalil who was in charge of keeping up a steady barrage of mortar
s, and Wael Julaidan. Abu Zaheb and Khaled el Kerde were both killed in the battle.
This battle later became famous due the participation of Osama bin Laden
, whose force of 50 Mujahideen
resisted the assaults of 200 Soviet Spetznaz for a week, according to the reports of the time.
However, some suggest that bin Laden and his fighters eventually retreated after taking losses.
At least 12 of the defenders, chiefly Arab volunteers
, were killed in the week-long battle, and Bin Laden suffered a foot wound. Ahmed Khadr would often praise the bravery of the fighters in Jaji to his children, but refused to confirm whether or not he had actually participated.
In the end, the mujahideen successfully held their complex system of tunnels and caves named al-Masada just outside the village of Jaji, near the Pakistani border, from Soviet capture.
Although relatively unimportant in military terms, the battle had been chronicled daily by Arab press outlets during its firefights, and left an impression of bin Laden as a victorious military leader, attracting a number of followers to his cause.
Soviet war in Afghanistan
The Soviet war in Afghanistan was a nine-year conflict involving the Soviet Union, supporting the Marxist-Leninist government of the Democratic Republic of Afghanistan against the Afghan Mujahideen and foreign "Arab–Afghan" volunteers...
. Remaining Soviet troops supported the Soviet-backed government
Democratic Republic of Afghanistan
The Democratic Republic of Afghanistan was a government of Afghanistan between 1978 and 1992. It was both ideologically close to and economically dependent on the Soviet Union, and was a major belligerent of the Afghan Civil War.- Saur Revolution :...
's operations in Paktia Province
Paktia Province
Paktia , is one of the thirty-four provinces of Afghanistan, in the east of the country. Its capital is Gardez. The population is predominantly Pashtun.- History:...
against the Mujahideen
Mujahideen
Mujahideen are Muslims who struggle in the path of God. The word is from the same Arabic triliteral as jihad .Mujahideen is also transliterated from Arabic as mujahedin, mujahedeen, mudžahedin, mudžahidin, mujahidīn, mujaheddīn and more.-Origin of the concept:The beginnings of Jihad are traced...
, hoping to relieve a besieged garrison at Ali Sher, and cut off supply lines to the Mujahideen from Pakistan
Pakistan
Pakistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan is a sovereign state in South Asia. It has a coastline along the Arabian Sea and the Gulf of Oman in the south and is bordered by Afghanistan and Iran in the west, India in the east and China in the far northeast. In the north, Tajikistan...
.
The Mujahideen al-Masada ("Lion's Den") compound had been constructed by Osama bin Laden
Osama bin Laden
Osama bin Mohammed bin Awad bin Laden was the founder of the militant Islamist organization Al-Qaeda, the jihadist organization responsible for the September 11 attacks on the United States and numerous other mass-casualty attacks against civilian and military targets...
, in order to have a training facility that didn't rely on Pakistan.
On May 20, after Ali Sher had been relieved, Jaji was attacked by approximately 200 Soviet Airborne Troops, Spetznaz, the Soviet-backed Afghan Army and tribal militias.
The Mujahideen army was estimated from as low as 50 members, to numbering "in the thousands", having drawn recruits from the surrounding area, including forces from all seven of the resistance parties
Islamic Unity of Afghanistan Mujahideen
The Islamic Unity of Afghanistan Mujahideen was an Afghan organization formed in May 1985 by the seven Afghan mujahideen parties fighting against the Soviet and Democratic Republic of Afghanistan forces in the Soviet-Afghan War...
. Among the leaders were Jalaluddin Haqqani
Jalaluddin Haqqani
Mawlawi Jalaluddin Haqqani is the leader of the Haqqani network, an insurgent group fighting against US-led NATO forces and the government of Afghanistan. He also fought in the 1980s Soviet war in Afghanistan, including in the Operation Magistral...
and Mohammed Anwar, whose experienced troops were carrying Stinger
FIM-92 Stinger
The FIM-92 Stinger is a personal portable infrared homing surface-to-air missile , which can be adapted to fire from ground vehicles and helicopters , developed in the United States and entered into service in 1981. Used by the militaries of the U.S...
and Blowpipe missile
Blowpipe missile
The Shorts Blowpipe is a man-portable surface-to-air missile which was in use with the British Army and Royal Marines from 1975. It was superseded by an interim design, Javelin, and later the greatly improved Starstreak missile.-Description:...
s that threatened Soviet gunships. Enaam Arnaout
Enaam Arnaout
Enaam M. Arnaout is a Syrian-American who pleaded guilty to using charitable donations to support fighters in Bosnia without apprising the donors of this, during his tenure as a director of the charity Benevolence International Foundation . -Life:Arnaout was raised in Hamat, Syria...
also participated, identifying himself to Arab press as "Abu Mahmoud, from Syria", and he was photographed alongside Bin Laden and quoted as saying that the Soviets had dropped napalm
Napalm
Napalm is a thickening/gelling agent generally mixed with gasoline or a similar fuel for use in an incendiary device, primarily as an anti-personnel weapon...
, destroying the trees that the Mujahideen had hoped to use for fortifications. Essam al-Ridi
Essam al-Ridi
A veteran of the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan, Essam al-Ridi was an American who was tasked to purchase a light aircraft by Osama bin Laden in 1993; but fled after accidentally crashing the plane into a sand dune.-Life:...
, an American who participated in the battle, later claimed that as many as 50 Mujahideen had been killed and only 2 Soviets, disillusioning him. During the battle, Abu Ubaidah al-Banshiri
Abu Ubaidah al-Banshiri
Abu Ubaidah al-Banshiri was the nom de guerre of Ali Amin al-Rashidi , one of the "most capable and popular leaders" of al-Qaeda....
and Mohammed Atef
Mohammed Atef
Mohammed Atef was the alleged military chief of al-Qaida, although his role in the organization was not well known by intelligence agencies for years...
both led raids which encircled the Soviet siege, ambushing them outside the encampment, al-Banshiri being shot in the leg during one excursion.
Others participating in the battle included Abdullah Azzam and his son Hutaifa, Abu Khalil who was in charge of keeping up a steady barrage of mortar
Mortar (weapon)
A mortar is an indirect fire weapon that fires explosive projectiles known as bombs at low velocities, short ranges, and high-arcing ballistic trajectories. It is typically muzzle-loading and has a barrel length less than 15 times its caliber....
s, and Wael Julaidan. Abu Zaheb and Khaled el Kerde were both killed in the battle.
This battle later became famous due the participation of Osama bin Laden
Osama bin Laden
Osama bin Mohammed bin Awad bin Laden was the founder of the militant Islamist organization Al-Qaeda, the jihadist organization responsible for the September 11 attacks on the United States and numerous other mass-casualty attacks against civilian and military targets...
, whose force of 50 Mujahideen
Mujahideen
Mujahideen are Muslims who struggle in the path of God. The word is from the same Arabic triliteral as jihad .Mujahideen is also transliterated from Arabic as mujahedin, mujahedeen, mudžahedin, mudžahidin, mujahidīn, mujaheddīn and more.-Origin of the concept:The beginnings of Jihad are traced...
resisted the assaults of 200 Soviet Spetznaz for a week, according to the reports of the time.
However, some suggest that bin Laden and his fighters eventually retreated after taking losses.
At least 12 of the defenders, chiefly Arab volunteers
Afghan Arabs
Afghan Arabs were Arab and other Muslim Islamist mujahideen who came to Afghanistan during and following the Soviet-Afghan War to help fellow Muslims fight Soviets and pro-Soviet Afghans....
, were killed in the week-long battle, and Bin Laden suffered a foot wound. Ahmed Khadr would often praise the bravery of the fighters in Jaji to his children, but refused to confirm whether or not he had actually participated.
In the end, the mujahideen successfully held their complex system of tunnels and caves named al-Masada just outside the village of Jaji, near the Pakistani border, from Soviet capture.
Although relatively unimportant in military terms, the battle had been chronicled daily by Arab press outlets during its firefights, and left an impression of bin Laden as a victorious military leader, attracting a number of followers to his cause.