Rish Khor camp
{{Short description|Camp in Afghanistan}}
{{Coord|34|43|14|N|69|13|56|E|display=title}}
Rish Khor camp is located near Kabul city in Afghanistan.{{cite web|url=https://www.dawn.com/news/1126313 |title=Afghan special forces brace for exit of US elite troops|publisher=Dawn.Com |date=2014-08-19 |access-date=2018-08-17}}
History
After the 1978 Communist seizure of power, Rish Khor camp was the site of a revolt in October 1979:{{cite book|ref={{harvid|Nyrop|Seekins|1986}}|author1=Nyrop, Richard F. |author2=Donald M. Seekins |title=Area Handbook Series: Afghanistan: A Country Study|place=Fort Belvoir, VA|publisher=Defense Technical Information Center|date=January 1986|page=303}}
A severe battle occurred at Rishkor, just a few kilometers southwest of the capital. The garrison revolted. Bhasin describes the battle from accounts by eyewitnesses: "There were several hundred casualties in hours of heavy fighting in the Rishkor Division. During the battle which lasted from 14 October to the afternoon of 15 October, the government brought in its tanks, mortars, modern Soviet Mi-24 assault helicopters and bombers."
The 444th Commando Regiment was also involved in the suppression of the mutiny.{{Cite web |last=Александр Бырихин |date=2022-04-15 |title="Пожарная команда" Кабула {{!}} Warspot.ru |trans-title="Fire Brigade" Kabul |url=https://warspot.ru/21620-pozharnaya-komanda-kabula |url-status=live |access-date=2023-07-20 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221130074403/https://warspot.ru/21620-pozharnaya-komanda-kabula |archive-date=2022-11-30 }}
When the Pakistan Inter-Services Intelligence began their planning to orchestrate Mujaheddin attacks on the Soviet Army, they had among their military targets Rishkoor garrison with "the headquarters of both the Afghan 7th Division and 37th Commando Brigade, plus the 88th Artillery Brigade."Mohammad Yusaf and Mark Adkin, "The Bear Trap."
By July 1981 the division headquarters of the 7th Infantry Division had been relocated from Rishkoor to Moqor.Urban 1988, p79.
During Soviet occupation it was a Soviet Airborne Troops base.{{cite news|author=Thomas Gibbons-Neff |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/checkpoint/wp/2017/08/11/in-bid-to-beat-back-the-taliban-afghanistan-starts-expanding-its-commando-units/?noredirect=on |title=In bid to beat back the Taliban, Afghanistan starts expanding its commando units |newspaper=The Washington Post |date=2017-08-11 |access-date=2018-08-17}}
In 1994, troops of Gulbuddin Hekmatyar's Hizb-i Islami and Commander Zardad operated from this base.{{cite web|url=http://www.favon.org/blog/2008/02/21/the-afghanistan-justice-project/ |title=The Afghanistan Justice Project – FAVON |publisher=Favon.org |date=2008-02-21 |access-date=2018-08-17}}
In 1998, under Taliban rule, the place hosted an Al-Qaida training camp for militants from various groups including Harkat-ul-Mujahideen{{cite web|url=https://www.washingtoninstitute.org/policy-analysis/view/the-taliban-and-terrorism-report-from-afghanistan |title=The Taliban and Terrorism: - Report from Afghanistan - The Washington Institute for Near East Policy |publisher=Washingtoninstitute.org |date=2000-04-06 |access-date=2018-08-17}} and was said to be Osama bin Laden's 'University of Terror'.{{cite news|author=Sandeep Unnithan |url=https://www.indiatoday.in/magazine/cover-story/story/20020121-rishkhor-students-at-al-qaida-training-camps-in-afghanistan-get-degrees-in-murder-796136-2002-01-21 |title=The terror academy|newspaper=India Today |publisher=Indiatoday.in |date= 7 September 2012|access-date=2018-08-17}}
In 2000, BBC's Kate Clark visited the base and found it 'deserted'.{{cite web|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/802675.stm |title=SOUTH ASIA | Afghan militant camp disbands |publisher=BBC News |date=2000-06-23 |access-date=2018-08-17}}{{cite web|author=Kate Clark |url=https://www.afghanistan-analysts.org/chechens-in-afghanistan-3-flash-from-the-past-diplomats-yes-but-fighters/ |title=Chechens in Afghanistan 3 (Flash from the Past): Diplomats, yes, but fighters? | Afghanistan Analysts Network |publisher=Afghanistan-analysts.org |date=2016-07-12 |access-date=2018-08-17}}
In late 2001, America dropped bombs on this camp for seven nights in a row and obliterated it. Later U.S. special forces raided it and found 'detailed information about chemical, biological and nuclear weapons'.{{cite web| url = https://abcnews.go.com/WNT/story?id=130580&page=1| title = Left Behind in the Camps - ABC News| website = ABC News}}
In 2007, Camp Morehead, a Commando Training Center{{cite web|url=http://www.afghan-bios.info/index.php?option=com_afghanbios&id=2055&task=view&total=2442&start=482&Itemid=2 |title=Commando Training Center Rish Khor |publisher=Afghan-bios.info |date= |access-date=2018-08-17}} was established here which serves as the principal site for training the Afghan National Army Commando Corps. The training center was named after a United States Army 5th Special Forces Group soldier, Master Sergeant Kevin Morehead, who was killed in Iraq in September 2003.US Department of Defense, [http://www.defenselink.mil/news/newsarticle.aspx?id=46277 Gates Visits New Afghan Commando Training Site] The camp is reported to house the Rish Khor prison, a secret U.S. detention facility.{{cite web|url=http://www.atimes.com/atimes/South_Asia/LA30Df01.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100201020042/http://www.atimes.com/atimes/South_Asia/LA30Df01.html |url-status=unfit |archive-date=2010-02-01 |title=Terror comes at night in Afghanistan |publisher=Atimes.com |date=2010-01-30 |access-date=2018-08-17}}
In October 2016, an attacker wearing a military uniform killed two people near the site.{{cite web|url=https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2016/10/soldier-killed-attack-kabul-army-base-161019131208101.html |title=Two Americans killed in attack at Kabul army base |publisher=Al Jazeera |date=2016-10-19 |access-date=2018-08-17}}
References
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Category:Military installations of Afghanistan
Category:Buildings and structures in Kabul
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