Soviets edge closer to Pakistan border

Press, 31 May 1985, Page 6

Soviets edge closer to Pakistan border

NZPA-Reuter Islamabad, Pakistan

An offensive by about 10,000 Soviet soldiers up the Kunar Valley, in eastern Afghanistan, appears set on establishing a large Communist base only 1 km from the Pakistani border, western diplomats say. The offensive, Moscow’s largest since it overran much of the rebel-held Panjshir Valley, north of Kabul, last year, was aimed first at breaking a 10-month guerrilla siege of the border town of Barikot, at the valley’s northern end, they said.

If it reached the embattled Afghan Army garrison there, they said, the Soviet Army would probably station up to 3000 soldiers in Barikot to help to seal off rebel infiltration routes

along a 90km stretch of the Pakistani border.

“This is a much more forward policy than' the Russians have used before,” one military analyst said. “After the relative success of the Panjshir offensive last year, Moscow has now turned its attention to the borders to stop the flow of men and weapons into the country,” another said. A Soviet base at Barikot, now manned by about 300 Afghan Army soldiers and a few dozen Soviet advisers, would be Moscow’s largest and closest base to Pakistan.

Moscow has repeatedly warned Pakistan against continuing to allow the Muslim resistance to arm, train and direct its fighters from inside its frontiers.