Page "Soviet war in Afghanistan" Paragraph 54

The war now developed into a new pattern: the Soviets occupied the cities and main axis of communication, while the mujahideen, ( which the Soviet Army soldiers called ' Dushman ,' meaning ' enemy ') divided into small groups, waged a guerrilla war.

Almost 80 percent of the country escaped government control.

Soviet troops were deployed in strategic areas in the northeast, especially along the road from Termez to Kabul.

In the west, a strong Soviet presence was maintained to counter Iranian influence.

Incidentally, special Soviet units would have also performed secret attacks on Iranian territory to destroy suspected mujahideen bases, and their helicopters then got engaged in shootings with Iranian jets.

Conversely, some regions such as Nuristan, in the northeast, and Hazarajat, in the central mountains of Afghanistan, were virtually untouched by the fighting, and lived in almost complete independence.