Battles of Zhawar

First Battle of Zhawar
Part of the Soviet-Afghan War
Date September - October 1985 Location Zhawar, Paktia Province, Afghanistan Result Mujahideen victory
Belligerents
Democratic Republic of Afghanistan Soviet Union (Air Support)	Afghan Mujahideen
Commanders and leaders
Shahnawaz Tanai, Qalandar Shah	Jalaluddin Haqqani, Yunis Khalis, Fathullah Haqqani (killed in action)
Casualties and losses
Unknown, presumably heavy (mainly DRA)	106 killed and 321 injured

Second Battle of Zhawar
Part of the Soviet-Afghan War
Date February 28 - April 19, 1986 Location Zhawar, Paktia Province, Afghanistan Result DRA-Soviet victory and withdrawal
Belligerents
Democratic Republic of Afghanistan  Soviet Union	Afghan Mujahideen
Commanders and leaders
Nabi Azimi, later replaced by Valentin Varennikov	Jalaluddin Haqqani
Casualties and losses
Unknown number of killed and injured, 530 captured (DRA)	281 killed and 363 injured

The Battles of Zhawar were fought during the Soviet war in Afghanistan between Soviet Army units, and their allies of the Democratic Republic of Afghanistan against Afghan mujahideen groups. The Soviets' objective was to destroy the Mujahideen logistic base situated at Zhawar, 3 kilometers from the Pakistani border.

The Mujahideen base at Zhawar, situated in Paktia Province, served as a storage facility for supplies and equipment being transferred from neighbouring Pakistan to the various guerrilla groups operating in the region. It also served as a training and command facility. The Mujahideen had dug tunnels up to 500 m into the Sodyaki Ghar mountain, with accommodations including a hotel, a mosque, a medical point and a garage to house the two T-55 tanks that had been captured from the DRA in 1983.

The troops defending the base numbered 500, and they were armed with a D-30 howitzer, several BM-21 multiple rocket launchers and five ZPU-1 and ZPU-2 heavy machine-guns for air defence. Additionally, other Mujahideen groups were active in the area, and they participated in the defense of the base when necessary. These groups were part of various movements including the Hezbi Islami, the Hezb-e Islami Khalis, the Harakat-i-Inqilab-i-Islami and the Mahaz-e-Melli, though all in theory came under the authority of regional commander Jalaluddin Haqqani.

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