Talk:1990 Afghan coup attempt

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Khalq faction and Hekmatyar alliance?

I think the article should offer more details on this supposed "unlikely alliance". Maybe hardliners around Shahnawaz Tanai simply launched a coup and Hekmatyar took advantage of the regime's inner troubles? Are there really any serious sources suggesting the events amounted to a coordinated undertaking of Khalq hardliners plus Hekmatyar's thoughest of the tough Knižnik (talk) 17:10, 8 January 2023 (UTC)[reply]

List of units

Dear AfghanParatrooper19891, it's great to see that amazing list of units!! But please add your sources, whether books or internet links. Where is most of the info coming from?? Buckshot06 (talk) 14:27, 17 May 2025 (UTC)[reply]

I don’t know how to add sources within the info box on mobile but the source is “The Army and Politics of Afghanistan” by Nabi Azimi. AfghanParatrooper19891 (talk) 13:14, 18 May 2025 (UTC)[reply]

Great!! It's the best book around!! I will add the reference. Does it match to your personal knowledge? What information do you personally have about the new divisions and brigades at the end of the 1980s - the tribal divisions?? Buckshot06 (talk) 19:27, 18 May 2025 (UTC)[reply]

In the book, Azimi creates boxes for different events detailing not only the units that took part but also the equipment they had access to and used. He’s done it for the 1973 coup, Saur Revolution, and the 1990 coup. Based off of my own personal knowledge from family, relatives and DRA veterans, there were numerous commando battalions that are not mentioned in ANY western sources, so we will never know what battles and engagements they took part in. Last year, I had the pleasure of speaking to a former Afghan paratrooper (named Farid) who told me of other brigades and battalions in the Afghan Commando Forces. In the works of a veteran of the Battle of Jalalabad, titled “The Epic of Jalalabad”, he referred to the 37th Commando Brigade as the “37th Commando Division”, yet no other western source speaks of this designation.

37th Commando Brigade (already known)
- 625th Operative Battalion
- 626th Operative Battalion
38th Commando Brigade
- 627th Operative Battalion
- 628th Operative Battalion
- 629th Operative Battalion
665th Commando Battalion (Kandahar International Airport)
866th Commando Battalion (Herat)

There was additionally a “61st Strike Regiment” created in maybe 1988–89? It was described as being similar to the commando formations and additionally took part in the 1990 coup, according to Conroy’s book.

As for the tribal divisions, I can only remember that there was the 53rd Division which was led by Abdul Rashid Dostum (I think?), and that Najibullah supposedly gave them and the newly established Afghan National Guard (1988) more importance and power than the Afghan Army themselves. AfghanParatrooper19891 (talk) 20:03, 18 May 2025 (UTC)[reply]

Here is “The Epic of the Battle of Jalalabad”, but it is in Dari:

https://www.ariaye.com/ketab/images/sayed.pdf AfghanParatrooper19891 (talk) 20:07, 18 May 2025 (UTC)[reply]

So many thanks for all this!! Would you consider writing a blog entry for another Substack site about the information you have found, from your personal knowledge?? Buckshot06 (talk) 06:11, 23 May 2025 (UTC)[reply]