207th Corps (Afghanistan)

Previous Afghan forces in the region included the 17th Division at Herat. In May 1957 in Herat, in the garrison of the 17th Infantry Division (commander – Lieutenant General Muhammad Khan, from 1963 to 1973 – Army General, and Minister of National Defence), the first course in Afghanistan began operating for the study of Soviet armored vehicles – T-34 tanks and BTR-40 and BTR-152 armoured personnel carriers.Main Directorate for International Military Cooperation of the Russian Federation Ministry of Defence (1951–2001 gg.). Military-historical essay. Moscow, 2001. S. 100, via http://www.xliby.ru/istorija/sekretnye_voiny_sovetskogo_soyuzan/p10.php, accessed August 2013. After a few months, the first graduates of the Herat tank courses formed the backbone of the command personnel and crews of the 4th Armoured Brigade (Afghanistan) at Pul-e-Charkhi.{{fact|date=January 2023}}

On 15 March 1979, insurgents gathered around mosques. They marched on Herat, where they were joined by many townsmen in attacking government buildings, and symbols of communism.Dorronsoro, p.98 The 17th Division was detailed by the regime to put down the resulting uprising, but this proved a mistake, as there were few Khalqis in the division. Instead, it mutinied and joined the uprising.{{cite book |last=Urban |first=Mark |author-link=Mark Urban |title=War in Afghanistan |year=1990 |publisher=Palgrave MacMillan |location=London |isbn=0-333-51477-7|page=30}} The mutiny was led by Senior Captain Ismael Khan, an officer in the divisional anti-aircraft battalion, and Captain Alladin, a signals officer.Urban, War in Afghanistan, 1988, 30. A small group of soldiers, officials and Khalq activists withdrew into the city's Blue Mosque.{{cite book |last=Giustozzi |first=Antonio |title=Empires of mud Wars and warlords in Afghanistan |year=2009 |publisher=Hurst & Company |location=London |isbn=978-1-85065-932-7 |page=64}} The insurgents held Herat for about a week, during which the city underwent a period of anarchy.{{fact|date=January 2023}}

The 4th Corps was created in the 1980s during the Soviet–Afghan War and by 1988 included the 17th Division at Herat and the 21st Division around Farah.Lester Grau, Breaking contact without Leaving Chaos: The SOVIET WITHDRAWAL FROM AFGHANISTAN, Foreign Military Studies Office. According to Mark Urban, as of 1 January 1985 the 17th Division included the 28th Brigade at Herat, the 33rd Brigade at Qala-Yi-Naw, Badghis Province, and the 2nd Regiment at Chakhcharan, Ghowr Province.Urban, War in Afghanistan, 1988, 224. Two other brigades had been disbanded after the Herat revolt in 1979.{{fact|date=January 2023}}

On 13 August 2003, President Karzai removed Governor Ismail Khan from his command of the 4th Corps. In the Fall of 2003 Karzai appointed a new head of the 4th Corps, but initially he was not able to take his post in Herat because it came at the expense of Ismail Khan. In March 2004, fighting between two local militias took place in the western Afghan city of Herat. It was reported that Mirwais Sadiq (son of warlord Ismail Khan) was assassinated in unclear circumstances. A larger conflict ensued between troops of Ismail Khan and Abdul Zahir Nayebzada, a senior local military commander blamed for the death of Sadiq, that resulted in the death of up to 100 people.{{cite news |title=Afghan aviation minister assassinated Slaying sparks factional fighting in western city |url=http://www.boston.com/news/world/articles/2004/03/22/afghan_aviation_minister_assassinated/ |date=22 March 2004 |access-date=2013-06-29 |work=The Boston Globe }} and {{cite news |title=Afghan minister killed in Herat |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/3555257.stm |date=21 March 2004 |access-date=2013-06-29 |publisher=BBC News }} and {{cite news |title=Afghan Aviation Minister Shot Dead |url=https://www.foxnews.com/story/afghan-aviation-minister-shot-dead/ |date=21 March 2004 |publisher=FOX News |access-date=2013-06-29 |agency=Associated Press |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131206110926/http://www.foxnews.com/story/2004/03/21/afghan-aviation-minister-shot-dead/ |archive-date=6 December 2013 |url-status=live }} Nayebzada commanded the 17th Herat Division of the Defence Ministry's 4th Corps.{{cite news |title=Afghan aviation minister killed in ambush |url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/1457405/Afghan-aviation-minister-killed-in-ambush.html |work=Daily Telegraph |date=21 March 2004 |url-access=subscription}} In response to the fighting, about 1,500 newly trained ANA soldiers from the Central Corps were sent from Kabul to Herat in order to bring the situation under control.{{fact|date=January 2023}}

An article dated 10 April 2005 by The Coalition Press Information Center (Public Affairs) reports that "the remaining members of the Afghan.. 4th Corps handed over official authority for the protection of Herat, Badghis, Farah and Ghor provinces to the 207th Regional Corps of the Afghan National Army".Combined Forces Command-Afghanistan 2005, ‘ANA Accepts Responsibility for Western Provinces’, Coalition Press Information Center (Public Affairs), 10 April, Afghan Online Press website – Attachment 22.

Source: [http://www.afghan-bios.info/index.php?option=com_afghanbios&id=1666&task=view&total=2781&start=1074&Itemid=2 Afghan-bios.info]

• Lt. Gen. Walizadah (200502),
• Maj. Gen. Jalandar Shah Behnam (2007, 20080526),
• Maj. Gen. Fazal Ahmad Sayar (2009-2012) killed in a helicopter crash, in Adraskan District (Herat).
• Maj. Gen. Jalandar Shah Behnam (20090000 - 20100900 )
• Maj. Gen. Dauranshah Shahzada (201010 - 20110000 )
• Maj. Gen. Taj Mohammad Jahid (20121004 - )
• Maj. Gen. Zaman Waziree
• Maj. Gen. Khyal Nabi Ahmadzai

• List of Afghan Armed Forces installations
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