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siege, notable, Cold War

Siege of Khost

Siege of Khost was a siege conducted in January 1980 at Khost, in what is now Afghanistan; it lasted about 11 years. It was part of the Soviet-Afghan War, which ran from 1979 to 1989. The recorded result: Afghan Mujahideen victory.

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A view of Khost, Afghanistan in April 27th, 2010, in Khost province, Afghanistan.
A view of Khost, Afghanistan in April 27th, 2010, in Khost province, Afghanistan.. Laura Goodgame, U.S. Air Force, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons.
FoughtJanuary 1980lasted about 11 years
WhereKhost, Afghanistan33.333N, 69.917E
OutcomeAfghan Mujahideen victory
BelligerentsAfghanistan; Supported by: Soviet Union (1980–1988)againstAfghan Mujahideen: Hezb-e Islami Gulbuddin; Haqqani network; Harakat-i-Inqilab-i-Islami; Local Ahmadzai tribes; Wahhabion; Al-Qaeda; Afghan Interim Government (from 1988); Hezb-e Islami Gulbuddin (until July 1989); Harakat-i Inqilab-i Islami; Pakistan
Part ofSoviet-Afghan War1979 to 1989

Where it sits in the Soviet-Afghan War

Operation Baikal-79, 1979Tajbeg Palace assault, 1979Siege of Khost, 1980Panjshir offensives, 1980Marmoul offensives, 1983Siege of Urgun, 1983raids inside Soviet Union during Soviet–Afghan war, 1984Operation Curtain, 1984Battle of Maravar Pass, 1985Battle near the village of Afridge, 1985Operation Trap, 1986Battle of Jaji, 1987Battle of Arghandab, 1987Operation Magistral, 1987Battle for Hill 3234, 1988Operation Arrow, 198819791988Siege of Khost, 1980
16 placed engagements of the Soviet-Afghan War in time order; taller ticks are more widely documented. Each tick is a link.

Record

DateJanuary 1980 (month precision)
to 11 April 1991
PlaceKhost, Afghanistan
33.333N, 69.917E
KindSiege, Cold War
Commanders
  • Mohammed Rafie
  • Abdul Qadir (Afghan communist)
  • Shahnawaz Tanai
  • Mohammad Aslam Watanjar
  • Abdul Rashid Dostum
  • Nazar Mohammad (Afghan communist)
  • Jalaluddin Haqqani
  • Mohammad Nabi Mohammadi
  • Gulbuddin Hekmatyar
Siege of KhostSiege of KhostOperation MagistralBattle for Hill 3234Siege of UrgunBattle of Saragarhi1842 retreat from KabulOperation MagistralSiege of Urgun1842 retreat from KabulKabulPeshawarBannuJalalabadGhazniGardizKundianKohat100 km33.333N, 69.917E
The recorded site, with the nearest other engagements in the atlas. Present-day coastlines, rivers and borders; towns from Natural Earth.

Nearest engagements

In the same war

Elsewhere in 1980

Siege of Khost is one of 4,429 engagements of the 20th century in the atlas and one of 83 in present-day Afghanistan.

Sources

Identity, coordinates, dates and the war from Wikidata Q3080960, released under CC0. Result, belligerents, commanders, strength and casualties from the infobox of the English Wikipedia article Siege of Khost, revision 1376546530, read 2026-11-14, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0; the article's text is not reproduced here. Present-day country and state from Natural Earth. Dates before 1582 follow the Julian calendar as recorded.