The longest and most intense battle of the eight-year Afghan war ended last month, when government and Soviet troops broke the rebel siege of the town of Khost near the Pakistani border. The significance of the victory is somewhat undermined by the intense military activity for the Afghan forces to retain their hold on Khost. Despite all the signs that the Soviet Union intends to withdraw from Afghanistan, the country remains volatile and government control tenuous.
The longest and most intense battle of the eight-year Afghan war ended last month, when government and Soviet troops broke the rebel siege of the town of Khost near the Pakistani border. The significance of the victory is somewhat undermined by the intense military activity for the Afghan forces to retain their hold on Khost. Despite all the signs that the Soviet Union intends to withdraw from Afghanistan, the country remains volatile and government control tenuous.
