Chapter 69

As long as you stand still, the landmine won’t explode. Even by using some special methods, such as suddenly freezing the landmine under your foot or letting it fly up and hitting it with a baseball bat when you finally let go—these are the most thrilling scenes commonly seen in TV dramas.

Unfortunately, in real combat, such scenarios never happen. No landmine would be so foolish as to wait for the person who stepped on it to defuse it.

Landmines are divided into two types: pressure-activated and release-activated. Pressure-activated landmines will explode immediately when stepped on, while release-activated landmines will explode when the pressure is released.

Release-activated landmines don’t mean that standing still is safe. They have a delay mechanism, so even if you don’t let go, they will still explode once the time is up. For example, the one Kryshevich is stepping on is a release-activated landmine.

After a two-second delay, the landmine exploded. This is a typical release-activated landmine. When the initial numbness disappeared and the nerves resumed signal transmission, intense pain immediately overwhelmed Kryshevich’s brain.

Pain! Heart-wrenching pain, soul-piercing pain. Although Kryshevich was a steel warrior, he still let out a muffled cry: “Ah…”

“Boom, boom!” At this moment, the other Soviet soldiers also unfortunately stepped on landmines, and their severed limbs flew into the air.

They had fallen into a trap!

The Afghan guerrillas didn’t have many landmines, but at this moment, these landmines played a huge role.

From the moment they entered the valley, Muhammad had the riders perform S-shaped maneuvers. This way, the Soviets, seeing this, would immediately realize that something was amiss ahead.

They would follow the same route, advancing cautiously. However, after following for over a hundred meters, they would realize they had been tricked—there were no landmines here at all!

Unless they were laid by aircraft, how could there be such a large minefield? Once they realized they had been tricked, the Soviets would become bolder. Since there were no landmines, why bother with the zigzag path? Why not just chase directly?

At the same time, Muhammad had no choice but to do this.

To lay landmines, they needed to blend into the surroundings to avoid detection. With snow everywhere, any movement would leave traces. If they had laid the minefield at the entrance of the valley, the Soviets would have definitely noticed.

Only when the Soviets were out of breath from chasing and their awareness of the minefield was completely wrong, would they not notice the chaotic footprints on the snow where the landmines were laid.

Hearing the explosions behind them, the cavalry that had reached the other end of the valley turned around. Now it was time to encircle and annihilate the Soviets!

A company of nearly a hundred Soviets pursued Muhammad’s small team of a dozen people, determined to capture these executioners and flay them as well.

Apart from Muhammad’s tactics being appropriate, Rameel’s actions had thoroughly enraged the Soviets. When they saw their comrades being flayed, they lost their reason.

The sound of the landmine explosions was a signal. Gunfire erupted from both sides of the mountain.

“Rat-tat-tat…” A DShKM heavy machine gun roared the loudest, firing 12.7mm bullets continuously at the Soviet soldiers in the valley.

Apart from the dozen or so guerrillas who stayed at the base, the rest of the Afghan guerrillas had mobilized. In terms of numbers, they were not at a disadvantage, especially with the high ground. The Soviet soldiers in the valley were like live targets.

“Aim and shoot!” Khwaja said, “Don’t waste ammunition!”

Some of the newly joined guerrillas, excited by their first ambush, emptied their magazines. Although the ammunition was supplied by the Americans and transported with great difficulty, it couldn’t be wasted.

After saying this, Khwaja put his eye to the scope, lined up the crosshairs on a Soviet soldier, and pulled the trigger.

“Bang.” A bullet flew out of the SVD sniper rifle, and the Soviet soldier in the scope suddenly spurted blood from his head and fell to the ground.

Girkozkin’s body kept jumping. On the battlefield, only by constantly changing position could one avoid being hit by bullets.

He had been tricked. The valley was barren, with not even a rock. Girkozkin knew that regretting now was useless; he had to lead his troops back.

On both sides of the high slopes, nearly a hundred guerrillas were ambushed, forming a包围圈.

He couldn’t go forward; there was a minefield ahead, and even if he passed it, the cavalry would be waiting. He couldn’t go to the sides either; they were high mountains, and even if he led his men up, they would be annihilated.

The only option was to retreat, to withdraw along the path they came from, and leave the valley and the ambush.

“Cross-cover, retreat!” Girkozkin said.

“Rat-tat-tat.” A machine gunner fired at the high slopes on both sides. After firing a few bullets, his body shook and he fell down.

The machine gun was thrown aside. Girkozkin bent down, picked up the machine gun, and fired at the position of the heavy machine gun on one side of the slope.

The machine gun roared in his hands, bullets flying. As countless bullets poured in, the person behind the machine gun suddenly fell backward.

The heavy machine gun was the greatest threat. Once it was eliminated, the Soviet soldiers felt the pressure减轻. They fired their weapons at the slopes on both sides while retreating.

This was a failed operation. The cunning of the Afghan guerrillas far exceeded Girkozkin’s imagination. Now, seeing the bodies scattered around and hearing the agonized cries of his soldiers, Girkozkin’s eyes turned red.

“Instructor, the Soviets are escaping!” Seeing the Soviets in the valley leave behind countless bodies and retreat to the other end, Durani couldn’t help but tell Muhammad.

If they couldn’t completely encircle and annihilate these Soviets, it wouldn’t be a complete victory! Following Muhammad, they had won victory after victory, and everyone had gained confidence. Driving the Soviets away wasn’t a complete victory; annihilating them completely was the real deal!

“They won’t escape,” Muhammad said. “Osama, are you ready?”

“Ready.” Osama replied to Muhammad.

In front of Osama were five 107mm rockets. He quickly arranged them, attached the fuses, and held the battery and wires.

“Fire!” Following Muhammad’s order, Osama connected the wires to the battery.

“Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh!” With a pleasant sound, the tails of the five rockets spewed fire and flew toward the opposite side.

Rockets! When Girkozkin saw the fire-spewing objects flying toward them, he was instantly alarmed. These rockets would explode among them, and the shrapnel would injure more people.

“Take cover!” Girkozkin shouted.

The Soviet soldiers lay flat on the ground in unison. Despite the dire situation, they remained disciplined.

The rockets, trailing flames, flew over their heads.

The aim was too poor. The Afghan guerrillas couldn’t effectively operate these rockets! Without a rocket launcher, they could only launch them by hand, which was terrible!

While thinking this, Girkozkin quickly stood up, ready to continue retreating, when he heard a huge explosion from the valley entrance behind him.

“Boom, boom, boom!” The five rockets flew over and exploded on the opposite side of the valley.

All the rockets hit the top of a peak. With the explosions, rocks tumbled down.

The peak was already prominent, and now, with the rockets, the upper half of the rocks became loose.

Seeing the rocks fall, Girkozkin was shocked. The damn Afghan guerrillas were too cunning!

The falling rocks blocked the valley entrance, cutting off the retreat!

The Afghan guerrillas’ setup was to completely annihilate them!

Girkozkin’s mind went blank.

The gunfire continued around him, and soldiers kept falling. The Soviet army, surrounded on three sides and with their retreat cut off, became lambs to the slaughter.

Heavy machine guns, light machine guns, and automatic rifles fired continuously.

“Charge up the slope!” Girkozkin shouted again. At this point, he had no other choice. As a warrior, he would rather die standing than be captured!

Being captured was even more terrifying, as Askov’s case showed.

Only about twenty Soviet soldiers remained, their bodies jumping and agilely charging up the slope.

“Aim and shoot!” Khwaja shouted to the soldiers beside him. When he saw the Soviet soldiers charging up the slope, some guerrillas couldn’t hold back.

After shouting, Khwaja put his eye back to the scope. With just these twenty Soviet soldiers, Khwaja could take them all out himself.

Khwaja increasingly realized that he was better suited to be a sniper than a commander.

A commander needed sharp insight, precise judgment, and even the ability to predict the future. Khwaja admired Muhammad immensely.

At this moment, Muhammad stood quietly at the valley entrance, watching the Soviet soldiers making their final desperate charge, and lit his cigarette.

When these Soviet soldiers followed him, their fate was sealed.

Taking a deep breath, Muhammad felt someone watching him. Turning his head, he saw Rameel.

“Your wound needs to be bandaged,” Muhammad said to Rameel. “I have some medicine at my base. Do you want to come back with me to get it bandaged?”

“Sir Muhammad, please allow me to join your guerrillas!” Rameel placed his right hand on his chest and bowed to Muhammad.