AFGHANS CONTINUE FIERCE FIGHTING

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP90-00552R000100140014-2
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: K
• Document Page Count: 1
• Document Creation Date: December 22, 2016
• Document Release Date: June 23, 2010
• Sequence Number: 14
• Publication Date: January 3, 1980
• Content Type: OPEN SOURCE

STAT Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2010/06/23: CIA-RDP90-00552R000100140014-2
ARTY'
0ii PAOL_~ -~
I~ hwans Continue
.+ erce Filth- hg
By Robert H. Reid
As.ociated Press
KABUL, Afghanistan, Jan. 2-So-
viet troops were reported today to
have thrown tanks and sophisticated
attack helicopters against Moslem reb-
els in fierce fighting about 100 miles
northwest of Kabul, the capital city.
Western diplomatic sources said the
Soviets were believed to be encounter-
ing sharp resistance in rugged Bamian
Province, a stronghold of anti-Marxist
tribesmen. Information about the bat-
tles came from four different Western
embassies. ,
"There are said'to be many casual-
ties on both sides." one diplomat said
of the Bamian fighting.
[The new Soviet-installed Afghan
president, habrak Kartnal, ignoring
violent protests abroad against Mos-
cow's role in- the strategic country,
said he would. request more defense
aid from Moscow, Vietnam and Cuba
to root out "all enemies" of his- gov-
ernment, Radio Afghanistan reported,
according, to- -United;; Press 'Interna-
tional.]
Soviet troops-who invaded Afghani-
stan last Thursday, also were in the
western Afghan city of'-Herat, about
60 miles from the western border with
Iran. and in ,Jalalabad,"about 50 miles
from the eastern border with Paki-
stan, Afghan and Western sources said..
Throughout the country, the ------
'facing Soviet troops was complicated
by snowy conditions- and rocky ter
rain. There. are- no. roads'through'
many of the mountains. AA, foot of
snow is on the ground here, and'some
ountaii< re covered by several feet
of snow.
1-t has been impossible for journal
ists to cEUrdism , the- reports of fight
ing outsi , (abul.?-Afghan. officials.-
have been.-turning- most Western re-,,.
porters 0'43--upon- arrival at the air
port and.-the' few who have entered-
Afghanistan-have been barred from..
going be . the, capital city- Offi
cials deported 13-journalists today, ins
eluding
Despite;reports_of sharp fighting in-.
the coutit.'sideg---Kabul. itself was..
quiet today. ..The last major disturb-
ance was, late, Sunday near the offices..
of Radio Afghanistan, but several peo-:
ple. who, ,.left. Afghanistan reported,
hearing sporadic gunfire yesterday.
THE WASHINGTON POST
3 January 1980
\Vindoiv5' at the West German Eu
bossy were shot out during the fight-
ing Sunday,.which is believed-to have
involved Soviet and dissident. Afghan
At-my units; according to Western dip-.
lomats. I
Last weekend, reporters here
watched vast columns of light tanks,
personnel carriers and trucks loaded
with Soviet 'troops streaming out of
the capital for the provinces.
Two Soviet tanks remained parked
in front of.the offices of Radio Afghan-
istan. Sovi.,eitsoldiers dressed in bulky
brown jackets and thick fur caps
stand guard; at the post office, Inte-
rior :Ministry and other important
buildings.
Kabul ; International Airport was
ringed by Soviet troops and tanks. .
Afghan police control traffic, and
unarmedyhan troops are manning
the roaclisloek near the airport, but
there are,:;ew signs that the- Afghan
Army is ,]?rationing as an important
fighting ..osce alongside the Soviet
troops.
An estimated 35,000 to 45,000 Soviet,
troops are313eteved to be in Afghani-
stan, and- eral thousand more are
reportedly poised near the Soviet-Af-
ghan border incase they are needed.
In Kabul, Afghan soldiers were
seen wandering around the streets---
mostly v i 17Oitt weapons-or standing
guard at mititar; garrisons or govern-
ment buildings. Soviet officers could
be seen itls>e the walls of two mill-
tart' garrsons near the airport.
Althouc;li,,.,,pew Cabinet ministers ?
have : becrr"named. the government
ministries are not functioning, report-
edly because bureaucrats fear purges.
Soviets were said to be filling key
slots in the Interior Ministry 'and,
other important posts; diplomats said.
No mail has been delivered since
the coup,- Afghan sources said,- and
two of the city's three telephone ex-
changes do not work-, There are no tel.
ephone or telex links= to foreign coun-
tries. . .
The city phone.system was de-
stroyed in the opening minutes of the
coup-by a satchel.: charge, evidently
set by a..Soviet soldier to signal the
start of the offensive. The explosion
blew an enormous.hole. in, the street
at the post and _ telegraph -building,
and Soviet soldiers were repairing the
coup, published the text of Karmal's
speech last night on Afghan televi-
sion. It was his first television appear- ;
ante since the takeover and he still
has not appeared in public, according
to diplomats here.
Diplomatic sources said i:armal had
evidently not returned to Aighani.
stan, reportedly from Czechoslovakia,
until last weekend.
During the speech, Karmal pledged
to restore human rights, release polio
cal prisoners jailed under Amin and
respect Islam, to which 93 percent of
Af.;hans ascribe.
Ile also said -the government wel-
comes "the national, Islamic, anti-im-1
peralist" revolution in neighboring
Iran, whose government has con-'
damned the Soviet incursion.
News services reported these devel-.
op,merts:
Karmal was quoted on the official
Radio Afghanistan as saying he would
request even more.defense aid from
Moscow and Soviet allies until opposi-
tion to his rule is completely put.
do',vn.
`'WVe announce to the world that as
long as the enemies of Afghanistan do
not refrain from interfering with our
sovereign territory, we . . . shall ask
for fut'rer ?' assistance from the
U.S.S.R. and other peace-loving-coun-
tries." Iiarmal said.
"We shall ask for . help
from . , . Vietnam, Cuba, Angola, the
Palestinian Arab people and others."I
he was quoted as saying. "We shall`'.
not back down:' 'J
A Radio Afghanistan broadcast also{
urged the 400,000 Afghan refugees who
fled the country during the rule of
Amin to return home. Most are living-
in Pakistan or Iran.
Travelers crossing the Afghan.bor-'
der into Pakistan reported seeing So-
viet tanks with guns trained on Al-. ghan garrisons. according to the -Ian-
chester Guardian.
Other travelers said the Durulamau
Palace, where Amin - reportedly .,was
killed, appeared to be completely de-,
.stroyed. The palace, on the southern,I
edge of Kabul,' reportedly was the
scene of a -major battle at the time oEi
the coup.
Diplomatic sources in New Delhi
said Soviet armored forces were mov-
ing from Kabul to Paktia -Province;;
where a large anticommunist -Moslem i
rebel force was dug in.
Karmal unveiled.- his- new govern-
ment today and promised to "abolish
all ? antidemocratic "and .antihuman
regulations,"' release -political prison-,
ers and ""respect the sacred- principles
.
of Islam."
As the Soviets consolidated - their
hold on the country, Karmal publicly,
attacked his predecessor Hafizullah.
Amin, as. "a CIA agent" and '"schem.
.i1L spy." Amin wag PYP('litpd rh,rina-,
Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2010/06/23: CIA-RDP90-00552R000100140014-2