Soviet–Afghan War veterans from CIS countries visit Osh

Osh, Aug.12, 2019. /Kabar/. A rally-requiem dedicated to the 40th anniversary of the introduction of troops, stationed in 1979 in Afghanistan, took place in Osh city near the memorial complex to the Afghan soldiers on Aug. 8.
Kakan Eraliyev, Chairman of the Osh City Council of Afghanistan War Veterans, representatives of the Osh Mayor’s Office Youth Affairs Committee, Afghan war veterans from Kazakhstan, Russia, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan and all regions of Kyrgyzstan, who served at the beginning of the military events in Afghanistan, servicemen of the Osh military garrison, veterans and representatives of veterans' families, and the public took part in the memorial events.
Especially for participation in the events in Osh about 140 veterans arrived from sister republics, including 32 veterans from Russia, 30 veterans from Kazakhstan, 14 veterans from Uzbekistan and more than 64 veterans from all regions of the Kyrgyz Republic.
The event began with the laying of flowers at the eternal flame at the memorial, and a volley was given to commemorate the victims.
The participants of the event highlighted the importance of holding the event, stressing that it is necessary to remember the feats that the servicemen made during the war years.
Kakan Eraliyev said this meeting is a landmark event when soldiers met in Osh after 40 years of service.
The Soviet–Afghan War lasted over nine years, from Dec. 1979 to Febr. 1989. Insurgent groups known collectively as the mujahideen, as well as smaller Maoist groups, fought a guerrilla war against the Soviet Army and the Democratic Republic of Afghanistan government, mostly in the rural countryside. The mujahideen groups were backed primarily by the United States, Saudi Arabia, and Pakistan, making it a Cold War proxy war. Between 562,000 and 2,000,000 civilians were killed and millions of Afghans fled the country as refugees, mostly to Pakistan and Iran.