Today in the world there are many radical groups that are forcibly trying to achieve some of their goals. In this article you will find out who the Mujahideen are. You can also read about the most common groups and their locations.
Who are the Mujahideen?
These are irregular armed groups whose goal is to fight for faith. They have a radical orientation. That is, they use cold steel and firearms to solve their problems. From the beginning of their existence, and they were formed in the late 70s, Mujahideen were considered rebels who fight against the invasion of enemies of the Gentiles on the territory of their countries. The largest group is Afghan.
Formations are being assembled from local men who are not involved in the regular army. Naturally, the Mujahideen army requires constant and considerable funding, therefore they are often interested in the redistribution of power and spheres of influence. In addition to the Afghan, there are also Syrian and Chechen formations.
The history of the emergence of Afghan Mujahideen
It began in 1979, when Soviet troops entered this country. Their main task was to fight against the "enlightening" activities of the Union and its attempts to overthrow the current government. However, after the war ended, the groups were not disbanded. They formed another movement - the Taliban. It should be noted that the Afghan Mujahideen have another name - "dushmans."
To this day, faith has been the main driving force of these groups. That is, they started the “holy war” of Jihad with all those who did not share their views. At the same time, the Afghans considered it their duty to destroy a true Muslim. For this, according to the Mujahideen, they should definitely go to heaven after death.
In principle, a rebel could not always be distinguished from a civilian. The fact is that dushmans were dressed in the same way as the ordinary population: in simple shirts, black vests and a turban.
Features of the activities of groups
After you find out who the mujahideen are, read about how exactly they fought. In principle, the rebel army was divided into groups that differed in numbers and composition. The main areas of their activity were:
- Act of terrorism;
- sabotage operations;
- missile attacks on aircraft and ground combat units of the Soviet troops;
- ambushes with mining of strategic objects (mainly routes);
- shelling of convoys of vehicles with military and humanitarian cargo.
The total number of Mujahideen in 1989 was a quarter of a million people. I must say that they acted in a peculiar way. That is, the groups tried to circumvent a direct collision with regular troops, which, naturally, outnumbered them. At the same time, they did not wage a full-scale war with the invaders, did not try to occupy repelled objects for a long time, and often acted unexpectedly.
The presented radical formations first tried to conduct active propaganda among the local population, which talked about "enemies", infidels, who want to seize their land. Thanks to this, they could attract more and more civilians to their ranks. Then, with the help of terrorist attacks and sabotage, the ground was prepared for the complete extermination of the enemy. And subsequently, a widespread clearance of the enemy was carried out.
Rebel Armament
Now that you know who the Mujahideen are, it's time to tell you what military power they possessed. First of all, I must say that all the weapons that the rebels used were bought in China and the United States. On the balance sheet of the formations were
Kalashnikov assault rifles, ten-shot BUR rifles, large-caliber machine guns, RPGs, M-16A1 automatic rifles, mortars, and large-caliber guns. In addition, they were equipped with anti-aircraft mounts and guns, portable systems for the destruction of aircraft.
Still in the arsenal of the Mujahideen were anti-tank and anti-personnel mines, grenades and land mines. Thanks to such weapons, the rebel army, constantly funded by interested parties, could inflict serious damage on the enemy troops. After all, everyone knows how many Soviet soldiers died on the territory of Afghanistan.
Leadership of radical groups and their allies
If you have already read about who these Mujahideen are, then you are probably wondering who led these groups. The most famous leaders of the radicals were: Ismail Khan, Abdul Ali Mazari, Said Mansur and others.
In addition, several times the leaders of individual groups gathered in alliances. The first such union was organized in 1982 and was called the Peshawar Seven. The headquarters of the formation was in Pakistan. Next, the Alliance of Eight was organized. Each formation included, respectively, 7 and 8 Afghan parties.
Afghan Mujahideen had allies: MI-6 (British intelligence), the CIA, the United Arab Emirates, Pakistan, China and Iran. The activities of the groups were funded through sponsorship, unprofessional gold mining, and the sale of drugs.
Features of Syrian Mujahideen
It must be said that such radical formations acted not only in Afghanistan. For example, Mujahideen in Syria - more than 400 groups that act against the authorities in the same radical way. A huge influence on the development of such a movement has Saudi Arabia, which contributed to the emergence of the "Army of Islam."
A feature of the represented entities is that the only legislative body for them is Sharia. Naturally, before the emergence of the Army in Syria, there was a redistribution of spheres of influence, thanks to which radical Mujahideen became the head of the rebels. I must say that among the members of these groups clashes also arise.
To date, the most influential group in the country is the "Brigade of Islam", which is toughly competing with other entities. The number of Mujahideen in Syria today is growing rapidly.
Features of the activities of Chechen Mujahideen
Represented groups were formed during the first Russian invasion of Chechnya in 1994. During this period, Russian troops were supposed to take control of an unrecognized entity - the Chechen Republic of Ichkeria. However, the radical movement, which required separation from the Russian Federation and the formation of its own state, did not want to give up. Chechen Mujahideen have been active not only in their region, but throughout Russia.
The main place in their activities has been and still is terrorist acts and sabotage operations. It should be noted that Chechen radical groups are still very dangerous and continue their "liberation war."
What is the difference between the Mujahideen and the Taliban?
In principle, the main unifying factor of these groups is the conduct of the “holy war”. However, the Taliban and the Mujahideen have different views on the methods of confrontation. Moreover, traditional jihad gives the right to the victorious party with impunity to rob and mock the surrendered population. This direction was chosen by the Taliban. Their main task is the organization of the state, without which Sharia cannot act. Moreover, the Taliban’s main driving force is faith. Material values are not important for them. Because of their ignorance, these people are very cruel.
As for the Mujahideen, they are somewhat deviating from traditions (and only after 1992). The aim of their struggle is to control resources. They are more educated and do not give up wealth.