American Journal of Research in Humanities and Social Sciences ISSN (E): 2832-8019 Volume 31, | December - 2024 P a g e | 43 www.americanjournal.org PARTICIPATION OF UZBEKISTANI FIGHTERS IN THE MILITARY ACTIONS BETWEEN A LIMITED SOVIET ARMED CONTINGENT AND AFGHANISTAN OPPOSITION FORCES IN THE AFGHANISTAN WAR Shoyimov Sanjarbek Saidmurod ogli Tashkent State University of Economics Senior Lecturer, Department of “Social Sciences” Tashkent International University of Chemistry Independent Researcher, Department of “History” A B S T R A C T K E Y W O R D S About 65 thousand Uzbek soldiers participated in the military operations of the Soviet army in the Afghan war (1979-1989). In turn, they sacrificed their lives on Afghan soil for their youthful duty and for the defense of the homeland. More than 1,500 Uzbeks died in these military operations. This article provides necessary information about the main combat operations of Uzbek soldiers who participated in the military operations in Afghanistan as part of the Soviet army and the Afghan opposition forces, as well as the role of the participation of Uzbeks in this war. NDPA, Tajbek, Tukharinov, OKSVA, Panjsher, Badaber uprising, Pardayev, medal. Introduction The war in Afghanistan, which took place in the 1980s, was a tragic loss not only for the Afghan people, but also for the Soviet people, especially the Uzbeks. The outbreak of the war began in the 1970s with the aggravation of the political situation in Afghanistan, processes associated with the coming to power of the pro-Soviet AKP party and its support by the USSR government. The rapprochement of the then head of the Afghan government, H. Amin, with the US state and treachery towards the Soviets led to a meeting called “On the situation in Afghanistan” held at the Central Bureau of the CPSU on December 12, 1979. As a result of the meeting, the USSR, at the request of the Afghan government and in accordance with the Soviet-Afghan Alliance Treaty, introduced Soviet Armed Forces into Afghan territory in order to provide its international assistance[1]. Historians note that from March to December 1979, the Afghan government requested military assistance from the USSR 19 times[2]. On December 27, 1979, the residence of Hafizullah Amin - the Tajbek Palace - was besieged by Soviet military forces and the head of the Afghan government was killed. After some time, the Democratic Republic of Afghanistan was proclaimed and B. Karmal, a former Soviet ambassador to Prague and leader of the AKP, who had studied in the Soviet state, was appointed as its leader[2]. Methodology The military forces introduced by the USSR into Afghanistan, the 40th Army, are called the "Limited Contingent of Soviet Troops in Afghanistan". The army commander is Lieutenant General Y. V. Tukharinov, First Deputy Commander of the Turkestan Military District [3]. Among the troops American Journal of Research in Humanities and Social Sciences Volume 31 December- 2024 P a g e | 44 www.americanjournal.org deployed to Afghanistan were an airborne division and a separate regiment from the 40th Army, which was part of the Turkestan Military District and the Central Asian Military District, an assault airborne brigade, several regiments of combat aviation of the Air Force, combat and transport helicopters, regiments, and the service part of the center. The number of Soviet troops deployed in Afghanistan increased every year and by 1985 reached 108.8 thousand (106 thousand military personnel), the contingent in military units was 73.6 thousand people. The Soviet troops were assigned to the Afghan army units and divisions, together with the Sarandoy security service (Afghanistan's Ministry of Internal Affairs), to protect all major highways. Research Outcome The participation of the Soviet army in the military operations in Afghanistan is divided into 4 stages[4]: - Stage 1: December 1979 - February 1980 - Stage 2: March 1980 - April 1985 - Stage 3: May 1985 - December 1986 - Stage 4: January 1987 - February 1989 The counter-partisan nature of the war in Afghanistan and the difficult terrain predetermined the specifics of the tactics of the Soviet troops in Afghanistan, where classical offensive and defensive battles were impossible. The main methods of warfare were: ▪ raids, ▪ blocking and combing, ▪ ambushes, ▪ wire fencing and supporting columns. Every year, the number of members of the Mujahideen armed formations grew in impressive geometric progression. In 1980, there were about 25 thousand, in 1988 - more than 140 thousand, and in 1989, when the OKSVA was withdrawn, it exceeded 250 thousand militias[6]. The most famous military operations in the history of the Afghan war in 1979-1989 are as follows: Famous military operations: "Mountains-80", "Spring-80", "Autumn-80", "Blow-1,2", "Volley", "Maneuver", "Trap", "Granite", "Thunderstorm" (in the Ghazni region), "Jawara", "South", "Typhoon", Tashkurgan and Aibak operations ("Operation Tashkurgan"[9], "Operation Aibak", military operations in the Samangan region), etc.[7] Discussion Among these military operations, it is worth mentioning a major event called the “Badaber” uprising. The Badaber uprising that took place on April 26, 1985 was also one of the important battles. 40 Afghan soldiers and 14 Soviet soldiers were held captive in the prison called Badaber[9]. Covering an area of about 500 hectares, the DRA Armed Forces servicemen and “shuravi” (Soviet prisoners of war) who were captured in Panjshir and Karabakh in 1983-1984 were brought here. On April 26, 1985, at 9:00 PM, when all the camp staff gathered on the parade ground to perform the evening prayer, a group of Soviet prisoners of war “removed” two guards from the artillery depots and the tower, freeing the prisoners. American Journal of Research in Humanities and Social Sciences Volume 31 December- 2024 P a g e | 45 www.americanjournal.org Below are excerpts from the war memoirs of war veterans who participated in the Afghan war, recorded on the basis of oral history. Also, the services rendered in the war by the Uzbek young man Pardayev Rofi Pardayevich, who served as Captain and Deputy Chief of Staff in the Asadabad region of Afghanistan in 1981-1983, are incomparable. Under the leadership of Rofi Pardayev, he perfectly coped with the task of installing signal sensors in enemy territory and recording enemy coordinates in the operations conducted in the Jalalabad and Kunar regions[12]. In particular, Uzbek fighters effectively participated in the war with their unique skills. In particular, Tal'at Pardayevich Muradov from Samarkand was sent to Afghanistan as an officer-translator in 1984- 1985. For his courage in these military operations, he was awarded the Order of the Red Star in 1985[13]. One such translator, Shukhrat Shoymardonovich Norkoziyev, served as both a translator and a police regiment intelligence officer in the Kabul, Ghazni, Panjsher, and Paktiya regions of Afghanistan from 1983 to 1985. He participated in several military operations and was awarded the Medal "For Courage" and the Order of the Red Star for Panjsher. Among the military personnel who served in Afghanistan, Sultanov Rustam Sultanovich, one of the officers who showed great devotion to guarding the state border, was of great merit. Rustam Sultanovich noted that the 107th Border Troops Detachment, where he served as a leader, played an important role in providing the military base with food and military weapons. He notes that he survived dangerous attacks twice during his service in Afghanistan. During the war, R. Sultanov was awarded the “Veteran of the Afghan War” order, “Afghan Glory” and many other state awards[13]. Senior Sergeant Politin Oleg Valentinovich, who served in Ghazni in 1985-1986, recalls the war as follows: “We knew that (the USSR) was helping the Afghan people. Our internationalist soldiers are providing comprehensive assistance to the democratic revolution. Our task, in our opinion, was to accompany the specialists who were doing this. We fought with the Mujahideen, with the enemies of democracy, the establishment of a civilized society. [12]. Samatov Abdurazzok Abdujalilovich, an Uzbek sergeant who served in the village of Rukha in the Panjsher Valley in 1985-1986, recalls his participation in the war: “My first injury was from a mine explosion, which was minor. My second injury was when I defended a five-man infantry fighting vehicle when it was surrounded. At that time, I was taking out my friend Sh. Mamadaliyev, who was a sniper, and he was shot in the head, and I was wounded by two explosive bullets. This incident occurred on October 10, 1986. For this, I was awarded the Order of the Red Star.”[12]. Mamirzhan Kenzhayevich, a senior lieutenant in the reserve, participated in military conflicts in Afghanistan 13 times. In 1983, he was hit by a mine in a column on a mountain road in Kabul (on the Bagram-Chorikor road). He received a serious concussion, but continued his service. Mamirzhan aka, speaking about the USSR's deployment of troops to Afghanistan, commented that "This was a requirement of the geopolitical conditions of that time" [14.]. Mirzhamol Sobirovich served in Afghanistan in 1985-1987. After 3 months of military training in Turkmenistan, he was trained as an instructor, went to the 102nd regiment Tashkurgan regiment, and a few days later was sent to the Hairatan regiment. He served as a machine gunner (in reconnaissance). American Journal of Research in Humanities and Social Sciences Volume 31 December- 2024 P a g e | 46 www.americanjournal.org In Hairatan, he guarded 3 large gas pipelines (GSM). He was awarded the medal “For Combat Services” in the war, the medals “70th Anniversary of the Soviet Armed Forces” and other medals. War veteran R. Pardayev: “There was even an instruction not to install tombstones indicating the places of death of servicemen who died in Afghanistan. Everything changed with the publication of the resolution of the Central Committee of the CPSU of January 17, 1983. After that, instructions were sent to military units and servicemen, which even indicated the dimensions (of the tombstones) and allocated funds for the installation of tombstones. All the dead were evacuated from the battlefield in a timely manner. [13]. During the Afghan war, there were many cases when Uzbek soldiers sacrificed their comrades on Afghan soil in front of their own eyes. For example, Temur Saidov from Kashkadarya was injured by a mine explosion while performing his duty in the village of Piramakon. Among those who returned from the war as a disabled person, it is worth remembering Muhammad Ergashev from Tashkent. A soldier who served as a sapper during the war recalls that he had a dream about an explosion. Colonel Grishin, when they wanted to gouge out my eye, resisted and saved me. I am grateful to him, ”recalls the veteran. Or Boymurat Mamanov from Shahrisabz, who was wounded in the leg in Kandahar, a soldier who served in the war, was neutralizing mines with his friends. He was wounded in the leg while neutralizing a “Fugas” mine. For soldiers serving in Afghanistan, the statement of February 15, 1989, by the commander of limited units of Soviet troops in Afghanistan, Lieutenant General B.V. Gromov, to the representative of the leadership of the USSR Ministry of Defense, Army General N.I. Popov, that the withdrawal of army units from Afghanistan was completely completed, was significant. The internationalist fighters were met by relatives of soldiers and officers, Soviet and foreign journalists as they entered the city of Termez over the 960-meter bridge. Conclusion More than 64.5 thousand Uzbek men and women (1,545 of whom were killed and 3,067 returned home disabled) participated in the armed operations in Afghanistan in 1979-1989[16]. Uzbek soldiers who participated in the Afghan war were awarded various state awards, medals, and orders for their services. These awards were mainly given during the Soviet era and were given to encourage soldiers for their courageous actions. Acknowledgment I would like to thank the leadership of the Veterans Association of Uzbekistan and all veterans of the Afghan war for writing this research paper. References 1. NSA. Concerning the situation in “A”. TsKhSD, F.89, Per.14, Dok. 31. 2. Sanguinary Amin band ousted. Kabul new times. Vol.XVII NO.1. January 1, 1980 (Jaddi 11, 1358 S.H.). 1 p. 3. A.Mannonov, N.Abdullayev, R.Rashidov. Afg’oniston tarixi. O’quv qo’llanma. -T.: Barkamol fayz media, 2018. B.221 American Journal of Research in Humanities and Social Sciences Volume 31 December- 2024 P a g e | 47 www.americanjournal.org 4. 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