Afghan Civil War (1989–1992)
The mujahideen forces were not successful in taking over Jalalabad. First, they tried to attack the city from the East, but the forces from the Democratic Republic of Afghanistan (DRA) were too strong for them. In the beginning they managed to overtake Samarkhel, a small village close to Jalalabad, and even the airport for a short time. However, then the DRA forces started to fight back, and drove the mujahideen back out of the city. The mujahideen forces then tried to attack the city from the North and South sides, but again the DRA forces were too strong. The mujahideen forces did not expect Jalalabad to be defended so well. There are three main reasons why the mujahideen did not manage to overtake Jalalabad. First, Jalalabad was well fortified, which meant that it was difficult to attack from the outside. Second, the DRA forces had strong firepower in the form of heavy artillery equipment and air support, while the muhajideen forces had to rely on guerilla tactics. Third, the DRA forces were well organized, while the mujahideen forces consisted of small, loose groups that also competed with each other. By June 1989, the mujahideen forces had been completely driven out of Jalalabad and had to give up. By then, about 3000-4000 mujahideen soldiers had died.