Chapter 10

A few days passed, and Muhammad felt very comfortable in this camp.

To truly have these guerrillas regard him as an instructor and follow his orders, Muhammad felt that he still lacked some authority. After one or two more battles, once he had proven his command capabilities, these guys would surely admire him.

At that time, whatever he said, they would follow. Now, if he were to fully command this guerrilla unit, it would be like seizing power from Khwaja, and this guy might not be satisfied.

Therefore, Muhammad was waiting.

Of course, Muhammad wasn't idle. These few days, he could still guide the training of these guerrillas. For example, in terms of marksmanship, although Khwaja was very skilled, Muhammad felt that Khwaja was a natural sharpshooter. He himself shot very accurately, but he didn't know how to train his men.

Muhammad started training them from the basics.

These few days passed quickly.

On the fourth day, finally, the two guerrillas who had gone on reconnaissance returned, dusty and tired.

Upon learning that these two had returned, Muhammad was immediately called to the cave by Khwaja. After a discussion, the entire guerrilla unit was immediately called to an emergency assembly, carrying their equipment and two modified roadside bombs, and they set out again.

In the past, Khwaja would not have had the confidence to attack the outpost, because even if they approached under the cover of night, they would be mowed down by machine guns.

This time, however, Khwaja was full of confidence. Muhammad's plan was very meticulous, and Khwaja was certain it would succeed.

The cool mountain breeze blew over Muhammad's body, and his long robe almost completely covered him. Walking on foot, Muhammad felt no fatigue at all.

The entire guerrilla unit was similarly excited, as if they knew they were about to win a beautiful victory.

After three hours of walking, they finally arrived at the designated location, a narrow road with mountains on both sides, a perfect place for guerrilla warfare.

By this time, the sun had long set, and the moonlight cast a clear glow on the ground, with stars twinkling as if watching over this small group of guerrillas.

"Dig a hole here and bury our bomb. Connect the fuse to the back of that rock," Muhammad said.

At this moment, Muhammad seemed to have become the guerrilla leader, giving orders to the guerrillas, who followed without hesitation.

Muhammad chose two spots, about 50 meters apart, within the effective range of the two roadside bombs. This way, even if the enemy convoy had over ten vehicles, they would all be blown up.

"Instructor, aren't we going to attack the outpost? Why are we burying bombs here?" Durani asked quietly while working.

"Yes, we are going to attack the outpost, but before that, we need to deal with the supply convoy heading to the outpost," Muhammad said.

This was Muhammad's plan: to attack the convoy first!

Directly attacking the outpost was almost an impossible task, as they lacked heavy weapons, and an uphill assault would result in heavy casualties.

Attacking the convoy, however, was much easier. This was the most forward outpost, and the other outposts had already received their supplies, so the vehicles returning would be few. According to the guerrillas' observations, there would be no more than ten vehicles.

Two roadside bombs would be enough to almost completely destroy the convoy, and the convoy's combat strength was weak. The strong units had gone to suppress the guerrillas, and only second-line units were responsible for transportation, which was later taken over by the Soviet-controlled Afghan government army.

Muhammad ensured that the two bombs were properly set, especially the fuse wires, which must be in good condition to avoid a misfire that could ruin the operation.

Everything was set, and it was already late at night.

That night, they camped on the mountain. Most of the guerrillas, except for the sentries, fell asleep.

Muhammad couldn't sleep, not because of the upcoming battle, but because he missed home. Although he had been bravely fighting in this era, he still wished to return to the future, where he belonged.

Thinking about this, he gazed at the stars, which seemed to be telling him something, and he felt wide awake.

Gradually, dawn came.

"Quick, everyone, get up. The Soviet convoy will be here soon," Khwaja whispered, waking up the guerrillas one by one.

Muhammad also woke up. He had only slept for a short while before dawn. Upon hearing that the Soviet convoy was coming, he immediately ran to the rock behind which the bomb would be detonated. The bomb's explosion would be the signal to attack.

His stomach was already growling, and Muhammad quietly put a piece of beef jerky in his mouth. This was the convenient food each guerrilla carried, and it was only eaten during missions.

The beef jerky was quite hard, and Muhammad had to keep it in his mouth for about ten minutes before it softened. Then, he slowly chewed it.

While eating, he waited, and soon he felt the ground tremble.

In the distance, dust rose from the road, and a convoy slowly appeared.

Leading the way was a BMP infantry fighting vehicle!

This was a tracked infantry fighting vehicle, a type of vehicle used by the Soviet motorized infantry. It was more suitable for mountain warfare in Afghanistan than tanks, with lower fuel consumption and less logistical demand. The low-profile turret mounted a 73mm low-pressure smoothbore cannon, which had a high firing angle and was very effective against mountain targets. Above the cannon was an anti-tank missile, capable of engaging fortified positions.

In the later stages of the Soviet-Afghan War, most tanks were withdrawn, while the number of these infantry fighting vehicles increased several times.

Seeing this vehicle, Muhammad knew he had to modify his plan.

Originally, he intended to let the first truck pass, as it would still be useful in the subsequent attack on the outpost. However, seeing that the lead vehicle was an infantry fighting vehicle, he immediately changed his plan. This vehicle was a greater threat than a tank and needed to be destroyed.

The guerrillas held their breath, knowing that this was the critical moment.

If the two bombs failed to explode, they would have to quietly slip away as if they had never been there.

They trusted this instructor, but they hadn't seen a bomb explode without being fired from a cannon, and they weren't entirely convinced of its power.

"Rumble, rumble." The BMP's tracks stirred up dust as it moved forward, the small turret rotating. The 73mm low-pressure smoothbore cannon had a high rate of fire and few blind spots, capable of hitting almost any target.

Inside the infantry fighting vehicle, a platoon of soldiers was on high alert. They observed the surroundings through the firing ports on both sides of the vehicle, ready to fire at any moment.

Following the infantry fighting vehicle were seven Kamaz trucks, loaded with supplies.

These supplies were more than enough for one outpost, but according to reports from Jalalabad, another operation to suppress the Afghan guerrillas in the nearby mountains was planned. The guerrillas had recently destroyed several tanks, and the Soviets wanted to retaliate and show their strength.

Thus, this outpost, as a forward base for attacking the mountain guerrillas, was used as a supply depot. The first truck carried food, while the middle and rear trucks carried ammunition and fuel.

The journey had been safe so far, but they remained cautious.

The mountain wind blew, and the bare mountains made a rustling sound.

The infantry fighting vehicle's tracks continued to move, and the large vehicle advanced.

Suddenly, "Boom!" A huge explosion occurred without warning.

With the explosion, the soldiers inside the BMP felt as if they were in a bumpy airplane, their bodies tilting to one side. Their stomachs churned, and they vomited blood. Then, everything went black.

Muhammad, hiding behind the rock, watched the scene with relief.

The powerful infantry fighting vehicle, in the explosion, was lifted like a small boat in a storm, then fell heavily to the ground.

The strong shockwave must have killed everyone inside.

The following truck was also lifted and exploded, flames shooting into the sky.

"Screech." The middle truck braked suddenly. The passenger seat was occupied by the captain of the transport company responsible for this mission.

"Quick, reverse, get out of here, and call for support," Captain Viktor ordered.

Each truck was equipped with a radio, and the captain's vehicle was a double-cab truck with two soldiers in the back.

Upon hearing the captain's order, one of the soldiers immediately began to call for help.

Just as he pressed the communication button, another explosion was heard from behind.

Muhammad had detonated the first roadside bomb. The following trucks had not yet entered the range of the second bomb. This delay allowed the second bomb to be triggered as the trucks approached.

The current flowed through the buried wires into the detonator.

Stimulated by the current, the detonator, like an angry woman, immediately ignited, setting off the explosive in the grenade. The explosive, excited like a crowd at a market, burned rapidly, causing the gas inside to expand, breaking the shell and launching hundreds of shrapnel in all directions.

Above the grenade was a Kamaz truck loaded with fuel. The shrapnel easily penetrated the truck's bottom, entering the cab and the bodies of the Soviet soldiers. Some shrapnel also penetrated the fuel tank, igniting the diesel fuel with its high temperature.

Diesel is hard to ignite, but once it starts, it burns fiercely.

At the same time, the high-pressure gas from the grenade explosion lifted the truck into the air, and the fuel it was carrying was also ignited during this brief flight.

"Boom!" The truck exploded in mid-air, breaking apart like fireworks, with fireballs flying everywhere, causing fires wherever they landed.

This truck successfully damaged the following trucks.

Viktor, through the right rearview mirror, saw the scene behind him. What kind of mine could have such power? It must be an anti-tank mine!

When did the Afghan guerrillas get such weapons?

He had no time to think. From the side of the hill, a large number of Soviet guerrillas rushed down.

If the infantry fighting vehicle were still operational, it could have shredded the guerrillas, but now...

"Drive full speed, go down the left side," Viktor said. PS: Thanks to my friends Fasis and Sachima99 for their support!