Soviet–Afghan War French and Italian-made weapons, though the vast majority still came from the Soviet Union, its Warsaw Pact allies, and China. King Mohammed Zahir Shah ascended to the throne and reigned from 1933 to 1973. Zahir's cousin, Mohammad Daoud Khan, served as Prime Minister from 1954 to 1963. The Marxist People's Democratic Party of Afghanistan's (PDPA's) strength grew considerably in these years. In 1967, the PDPA split into two rival factions, the Khalq (Masses) faction headed by Nur Muhammad Taraki and Hafizullah Amin and the Parcham (Flag) faction led by Babrak Karmal. Former Prime Minister Daoud seized power in a military
Sultan Mohammed Ali al-Kitbi Sultan Mohammed Ali al-Kitbi Sultan Mohammed Ali al-Kitbi (1970, United Arab Emirates—14 December 2015, Taiz, Yemen) was a colonel of the United Arab Emirates Army who became one of the most senior officers killed during the Saudi Arabian-led intervention in the Yemeni civil war. He was also the highest ranking UAE officer to have been killed. In his legacy, the standard issue of the UAE armed forces rifle, the CAR 816, is named Caracal Sultan and bears an engraving honoring him. Mohammed Ali al-Kitbi was born around 1970 in the United Arab Emirates and has served in its armed forces