COMBAT OPERATION KABUL, AFGHANISTAN (SANITIZED)

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: NGA Records (Formerly NIMA)
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP90T00784R000200400005-5
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: S
• Document Page Count: 3
• Document Creation Date: December 28, 2016
• Document Release Date: March 9, 2011
• Sequence Number: 5
• Publication Date: December 23, 1982
• Content Type: REPORT

Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2011/03/09: CIA-RDP90T00784R000200400005-5
Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2011/03/09: CIA-RDP90T00784R000200400005-5
 Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2011/03/09: CIA-RDP90T00784R000200400005-5
SECRET
(c) NATIONAL PHOT ER.
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COMBAT OPERATION
KABUL, AFGHANISTAN
Attachment to Z-17186/82
NPIC/IEG (12/82)
23 DECEMBER 1982
1. (SWN) SIGNIFICANCE: A MAJOR SOVIET AND AFGHAN SWEEP
OPERATION WAS IN PROGRESS IN THE KABUL AREA ON IMAGERY OF
2. (SWN) REMARKS: COMBAT/SWEEP OPERATIONS WERE OBSERVED IN
THE VICINITY OF KABUL ALONG THE ROADS TO POL-E KHOMRI,
QANDAHAR, AND GARDEZ, AND IN THE PAGHMAN/KHARGHA AREA.
CENTRALIZED COMMAND AND CONTROL INCLUDING COMMUNICATIONS
ELEMENTS OF A SOVIET ARMY LEVEL COMMAND POST AND AN AFGHAN
COMMAND POST WERE ESTABLISHED AT. KABUL INTERNATIONAL
AIRFIELD
;SWN) A REGIMENT-SIZE COMBAT FORCE, SUPPORTED BY A
FORWARD COMMAND POST AND TWO ARTILLERY FIRE SUPPORT BASES,
WAS CONDUCTING. COMBAT/SWEEP OPERATIONS IN THE VICINITY OF
THE ROAD TO POL-E KHOMRI. EVIDENCE OF COMBAT ACTIVITY IN
THIS AREA INCLUDED NEW CRATERS IN THE AREA OF OPERATION
AND A LARGE TRAFFIC BACK UP ON THE NORTHWEST EDGE OF
KABUL. ANOTHER REGIMENT-SIZE COMBAT FORCE, WITH A FORWARD
COMMAND POST, WAS MANEUVERING IN THE PAGHMAN/KHARGHA AREA.
(SWN) AN AIRBORNE BATTALION WAS IN CONVOY HEADED SOUTH ON
THE ROAD TO QANDAHAR TOWARD A DEPLOYED BATTALION-SIZE
COMBAT FORCE WITH A FORWARD COMMAND POST. ANOTHER
BATTALION-SIZE COMBAT FORCE WAS ENGAGED IN COMBAT/SWEEP
OPERATIONS NORTH OF ZAYDABAD ALONG THE ROAD TO GARDEZ.
TWO ARTILLERY FIRE SUPPORT BASES AND A FORWARD COMMAND
POST WERE DEPLOYED IN THE RISH KHVOR/ZAYDABAD AREA IN
SUPPORT OF THIS BATTALION-SIZE COMBAT FORCE. EVIDENCE OF
COMBAT ACTIVITY IN THE ZAYDABAD AREA INCLUDED SIX
DESTROYED VEHICLES ON THE ROAD AND NEW CRATERS.
These notes have been prepared for briefing purposes only and should not be used for detailed ana-
lytical work. Their use should be restricted to the particular briefing board(s) they were prepared for
and must be considered valid only for the reporting period as indicated by the date of issue.
WARNING NOTICE
Intelligence Sources
and Methods Involved
SECRE
25X1
25X1
Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2011/03/09: CIA-RDP90T00784R000200400005-5
 Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2011/03/09: CIA-RDP90T00784R000200400005-5
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(c) NATIONAL PHOTOGRAPHIC INTERPRETATION CENTER
Page 2 of 2
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Attachment to Z-17186/82
NPIC/IEG (12/82)
23 DECEMBER 1982
(swN) A 150 VEHICLE CONVOY INCLUDING 60 ARMORED VEHICLES
AND A POSSIBLE ARTILLERY (ARTY) BATTALION WAS ADVANCING
SOUTHEAST FROM POL-E CHARKHI TO AN AREA WHERE A POSSIBLE
FORWARD COMMAND POST WAS BEING ESTABLISHED. TRAFFIC WAS
ALSO BACKED UP IN POL-E CHARKHI, PROBABLY TO ALLOW THE
MILITARY CONVOY TO PASS THROUGH. AT LEAST A
BATTALION-SIZE COMBAT UNIT AND AN ARTILLERY FIRE SUPPORT
BASE WERE DEPLOYED IN THE BAGRAM AREA (NOT ON GRAPHIC).
TRAFFIC HEADED SOUTH TOWARD KABUL WAS BACKED UP IN THIS
AREA.
(SWN) INCREASED AIR SUPPORT, DEPLOYED TO THE KABUL AREA
FOR THE OPERATION INCLUDED FIVE FROGFOOT A AT BAGRAM
AIRFIELD (NOT ON GRAPHIC) AND MAJOR
ELEMENTS OF A HELICOPTER ATTACK REGIMENT AT KABUL
INTERNATIONAL.
(SWN) MAJOR ELEMENTS OF THE COMBAT UNITS GARRISONED IN
THE KABUL, BAGRAM, AND GARDEZ AREAS PROBABLY PARTICIPATED
IN THE OPERATION. SOVIET GROUND UNITS INCLUDED THE
AIRBORNE (ABN) REGIMENT (REGT) AND THE ABN ARTILLERY
(ARTY) REGT FROM KABUL INTERNATIONAL AIRFIELD, THE
MOTORIZED RIFLE REGIMENT (MRR) AND MAJO"LE-MENTS F THE
ARTY REGT FROM KABUL DEPLOYMENT AREA NW
THE MRR FROM KABUL DEPLOYMENT AREA SW THE
ABN BATTALION FROM BAGRAM AIRFIELD, MAJOR ELEMENTS OF TWO
ABN BATTALIONS FROM KABUL BKS REG A BN HQ A SCH BALA HISAR
AND KABUL ROYAL PALACE
AND PROBABLY THE ABN BATTALION FROM GARDEZ NEW AIRFIELD
ALTHOUGH A COMPLETE ASSESSMENT OF THE
AFGHAN UNITS INVOLVED IN THE OPERATION COULD NOT BE
DETERMINED, UNITS OBSERVED INCLUDED TWO FIELD ARTY
BATTERIES AND ONE PROBABLE BM-13 MULTIPLE ROCKET LAUNCHER
BATTERY AT KABUL ARMY BKS DIV A REGT HQ RISHKHOR BE
AND AN UNIDENTIFIED INFANTRY UNIT.
3. (S) BE NONE, COORDINATES 34-30-45N 069-10-OOE
These notes have been prepared for briefing purposes only and should not be used for detailed ana-
lytical work. Their use should be restricted to the particular briefing board(s) they were prepared for
and must be considered valid only for the reporting period as indicated by the date of issue.
WARNING NOTICE
Intelligence Sources
and Methods Involved
SECRET
25X1
25X1
25X1
25X1
25X1
25X1
25X1
25X1
Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2011/03/09: CIA-RDP90T00784R000200400005-5