Muslim Battalion: Imperceptible Anniversary
For Afghan warriors, the New Year is a special holiday. December 29 - anniversary of the Soviet troops in Afghanistan. The war, which for many years has been called international duty, is long over for us, but ... But there is still no peace in Afghanistan. And that means the battles of those days are not quite story, and still part of today. Our day - after all in those battles the Muslim battalion assembled in Central Asia and Kazakhstan took an active part. And about this article.Operation 333 Storm was performed on 27 on December 1979, and was silent for a long time. The purpose of this secret operation was the elimination of Afghan President Hafizullo Amin. Then the leadership of the USSR believed that Amin betrayed the ideals of the April 1978 people's revolution of the year. A plan of a coup d'état arose in the depths of the KGB and the GRU, as a result of which the pro-Soviet leader was to be brought to power. The main striking force was the 154 special group of the GRU, which was formed from immigrants from Central Asia. 35 years have passed since then, but the memory of “Storm 333 ″ lives, because many more participants are alive and remember a lot.
"Muslim battalion" collected from all over the Union
The film “Confession of a saboteur” Rashid has been watching for the umpteenth time, having lost even an account. This is the first most credible film about that clandestine operation in which the young officer Rashid Abdullayev from the detachment of special purpose No. XXUMX participated. Later they will be called the "Muslim battalion."
- In May, 1979 was collected from all parts of the Soviet Union, from all districts in the city of Chirchik, near Tashkent. We quickly found a common language when we formed companies, platoons, and so on, because the goal was clear - to prepare a super battalion, - Rashid Abudullayev recalls.
The basis of the special battalion consisted of soldiers and officers of the Central Asian nationalities. The bosses of the Soviet military intelligence GRU pretend this: Uzbeks, Tajiks and Turkmen outwardly do not differ from their Afghan counterparts, know customs and languages. Since the north of Afghanistan is populated by representatives of these peoples, then it is necessary to act by Soviet soldiers from these countries.
- The battalion had 537 people and by 70% it consisted of natives of Uzbekistan. The remaining soldiers were from Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and a Kazakh 3 from Chimkent. “There were several Russians, Ukrainians and Belarusians with an eastern appearance who were specialists in some weapons,” says Rashid.
A native of Tashkent, Shavkat Azamatov at the beginning of 1979, did military service in Kazakhstan. Six months later, he was transferred to Kyrgyzstan near Issyk-Kul. The BTR driver, Azamatov, did not have time to get used to the new duty station, as he was urgently seconded to his native Uzbekistan in Chirchik, just 30 km from his native Tashkent. Shavkat and his parents were delighted with such happiness. Serving at home in the Soviet era was a very rare success. But happiness is not long - soon Shavkat was waited by grueling military exercises without prodigu.
- Then we did not really know why we were gathered here. Suspicions were, of course, that they would send us somewhere. When they gave the Afghan form, it became clear that we would perform a secret operation. We were all young and were glad that we were all at home in Uzbekistan.- recalls Shavkat.
Shavkat did not like the Afghan military uniform, woven from camel wool. But the Italian shoes were better than Soviet tarpaulin boots.
The personnel of the 1 Company of the BTR on the eve of Operation Storm-333. Dar-ul-Haman. December 26 1979 of the year. Group commander Lt. R.T. Tursunkulov (in the center) with personnel of the 1 of the BTR company. Chirchik. December 1979 of the year.
Transfer to Kabul
At the end of November, the special purpose battalion of the 1979 was ready to carry out a covert operation. Major Khabib Khalbayev, a native of Fergana, was appointed commander of the secret unit.
In early December, the special-action battalion, disguised as an Afghan uniform, was transferred by aircraft to Afghanistan. The Tajbeg Presidential Palace was guarded by two and a half thousand soldiers of the elite national guard of the Afghan Army. Everyone was waiting for the order of the assault. The operation was postponed. A nervous atmosphere reigned in the battalion. Finally, an order came in and the "Muslim battalion" moved from Bagram to Kabul.
27 December 1979, the “Muslim battalion” and the KGB group “Alpha” began storming the Amin Palace. The operation lasted only 40 minutes. Hafizullo Amin was killed. The battalion’s casualties were 7 people killed and 67 injured.
-All this skirmish ended so quickly that I didn’t even understand what had happened. Then they began to think that there were no close comrades, many of the Afghan soldiers themselves who had died. Everywhere scattered parts of the body: arms, legs, heads and disfigured corpses. It is impossible to forget all this. Now 35 has passed and I still remember everything, says Shavkat, who fought the BMP.
Second secret order in case of failure
All these years, Rashid was silent for a long time about one thing - and now he is talking about it, holding back tears. For 10 minutes before the start of the storming of the palace, the command warned the officers of the musbat that there would be no way back home if the operation failed.
- What would happen in case of failure?
- Frankly? No one would come back alive.
- You should have been destroyed?
- Yes sir!
- Who? Ours?
- Yes sir!
- Why not?
- That was the plan. Therefore, we acted in the form of Afghans as a rebel battalion, a whole legend was prepared. The operation to overthrow Amin was observed by the third battalion of 105 - the Vitebsk Airborne Division. If the operation fails, the Muslim battalion must be destroyed as a rebel battalion of the Afghan army. What is one battalion? 500 people. “Yes, and s .. with him - for the sake of big policy of the Central Committee of the CPSU!” - decided the Politburo. “But we will fulfill the strategic task!” You see, this ideology, it’s ... Well, it was a shame,- Rashid comments.
Rashid and Shavkat claim that the Vitebsk paratroopers would not have surrendered, because then they had nothing to lose. Fortunately for them, Operation Storm 333 ended well.
- Rashid, did you later meet with the officers of the 105 division?
- I met. My classmates served there. They thought we were Afghans. They saw us in the sights. We were in the form of a national guard, and they were ready to destroy us as an enemy ... Of course, if we had openly fired at them, the battalion would have nothing left of them in 10 minutes. We would defeat him, for 10 minutes burned, this battalion would be ...
The book "Musbat. Storm 333 »
For the successful operation, the company commander for the political part of the “musbat” Rashid Abdullayev and the sergeant of the BMP were awarded orders and medals. After the operation was completed, Rashid continued his service in the Soviet Union and now teaches at the military academy of the Armed Forces of Uzbekistan. Shavkat was demobilized, worked for a long time at the security agency, and retired a year ago.
35 years have passed, a lot can already be rethought, give assessments. Rashid Abdullaev wrote the book “Musbat. 333 Storm. Says to pay tribute to both the living and the dead. Indeed, 65 of thousands of Uzbeks passed through Afghanistan. Who was right or wrong, the story will judge itself. Rashid and his comrades entered there to start a war. When they left, the war was in full swing, and it still continues. Rashid’s battle memories for other people are the beginning of their misery story. Shahnoza Shahsufi Afghan, living in Tashkent. She says that she knew nothing about the Muslim battalion, but she was extremely negative about such operations.
- This war has divided my family. My father stayed there in Afghanistan, and I have been here with my mother for several years now. For me, this is a family tragedy, grow up without a father,- says Shahnoza.
- To some extent, it was an adventure. And of course, in the future, our children and grandchildren would not like to participate in such sabotage, so that such adventures would not be repeated.- Rashid Abdullayev tells us goodbye.
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