Afghan Civil War (1989–1992)
The Mujahideen resistance movement consisted of several smaller Islamist rebel groups. Despite their differences in region of origin, ethnicity, and religious connection, they fought against one common enemy: the communists (first the Soviets, and later Najibullah's DRA government). They shared the common goal of making Afghanistan an independent Islamic state, unaffected by large powers like the United States, the Soviet Union, and China. These groups were supported by the United States to fight against the Soviets and Najibullah. Seven of these groups came together in 1981 to form the Islamic Unity of Afghanistan's Mujahideen (IUAM), but they did not succeed in forming a united movement.They fought loosely and without strategic coordination. Sometimes, they would even attack each other. Out of these seven groups, there were four important ones: Hesb-e Islami, Jamiat-e Islami, Ittehad-e Islami, and the Haqqani network.