19 January 2011

By Al-Ikhwah al-Mujahidun

Not so long ago, Hunafa published a Jihad story, called 'Fight in the forest'. A vivid, thrilling and enlightening testimony. In one word it's a must read. Insha'Allah, this modest translation will give some insight of what the fight in the forest looks like.  

In the Name of Allah, the Compassionate, the Merciful  

The story I decided to tell you is known to many brothers in the Province Ghalghaycho (aka Ingushetia). In my opinion, it is very instructive and can be useful for the Mujahideen, as it shows the experience of the Mujahideen of the older generation.  

Those who know this story can add or correct it if I'm wrong in something or if something is left unsaid.  

These events took place in the mountainous regions of Ingushetia, in the spring of 2004. When a small detachment of one of the combat Jamaat of Ghalghaycho, numbering up to fifteen people, under the temporary (the group was usually subordinated to another Emir) leadership of a well-known and experienced Emir, Saif al-Islam al-Masri (may Allah accept his Martyrdom), moved from the plains to the mountains near the village of Alkun.  

The goals of the campaign were exploration and preparation for combat operations in the mountains on the border between Ghalghaycho and Nokhchicho.  

After a march of about twenty kilometer's long, Saif al-Islam chose the place to set up the base. In the group there were other experienced Mujahideen, and some Emirs of subunits, so Saif al-Islam was always advised and was often discussing the various options with the brothers.  

Quickly, he spotted a place for Ribaat (a surveillance position) [I guess that all Muslims readers are aware of what Ribaat is, and of what benefits there are in it. In the Muslim's Sahih, Salmaan al-Faarisi narrated that the Prophete (pbhu) said: "The guarding (Ribaat) of a night and day in the path of Allah is greater than the fasting and praying of a month; and whoever dies whilst in Ribaat, dies a Mujaahid, and he is given his reward from paradise and is protected from the two tribulators (the angels who come at death)"], in the immediate vicinity of the base, where the approaches to the base could be watched properly. After having set the time and the order of change of the Ribaat, he studied the construction of the base itself.  

First, he took up engineering equipment, in order to set defensive weapon emplacements. To this end, he took with him some of the most experienced Mujahideen, and together they departed from the base, about a hundred meters away, and then he offered to organize an attack on its own base (in order to spot the weaknesses in the defenses).  

The brothers began with the most convenient and concealed approach routes to the base, then they examined the places from where the base could be seen and where there was an opportunity to engage direct fire on it, they also noted the most convenient firing positions for the attackers and the natural covers (pit, large stones, massive trees). Also, from the standpoint of the attackers, they identified the most vulnerable and lesser defended points.  

Returning to the base, taking into account the possible positions of the attackers and the vulnerabilities of the base, they determined where to set up defensive positions. Divided in pairs, the Mujahideen started to dug up trenches and then, camouflaged them.  

After that, Saif al-Islam assigned the positions between the Mujahideen of the group, and ordered that, in case of attack, each one should quickly join its position. Also, he indicated to each Mujahid his firing sector and the possible enemy positions, on which he should shoot in case of attack.  

Then, all joined the shelter, except a Mujahid who was cooking the dinner.  

As for the construction, a shelter requires a lot of trunks, branches and twigs, but the Emir forbade to cut them down near the base, as this could unmask the location of the base to eventual air reconnaissances. In addition, he ordered to cover the traces of fresh cut (carcasses of cut trees, sawdust, etc...) on the place where the wood have been harvested, in order to prevent a detection from the enemy. After the first rain, the place has been washed from all the sawdust.  

The Mujahideen were forbidden to leave their weapons, all the things (apart from the wet things after being washed) should always be packed in backpacks, the "unloading" was allowed only for the night, during the sleep. Everything was prepared so that a Mujahid was ready to leave the base with the loads he was given, within ten seconds, at any time of the day.  

Many of the brothers slept with their guns and backpacks (the grenades were pulled out and laid next to the backpacks), and as they said later, by two or three days they were fully accustomed to this and did not feel any discomfort.  

The base was developed, and the life went on as usual. On daily basis, the Mujahideen were carrying out reconnaissance patrols which were necessary for the base's safety, and in addition, the lesser experienced brothers learned how to move properly (in the woods), the correct way to watch and listen in the woods, the target areas, etc...  

One day, Saif al-Islam noticed that the dinner was coinciding with the time of the evening prayers (Maghreb), and sometimes was stretching till dusk. He ordered to cook the dinner earlier, so that all (the dinner and the cleaning of the dishes) would be finished before the evening prayer, since the infidels often stage attacks in the pre-dawn and twilight.  

A few days later, it was a Monday or Thursday [The days of fasting beside the Ramadan month, as mentioned in the Sunnah of the Prophet (pbhu)], some of the brothers were fasting, including Hamza. That evening, as it had been previously established by the Emir, the dinner was ready an hour before the evening prayer. Located at the base, Hamza proposed to replace Yusuf at the Ribaat post, as the breaking time of his fasting has not come yet. Thus, Yusuf could dine before its food becomes cold, and then return to the Ribaat, just in time for the fasting break of Hamza.  

Saif al-Islam always finished his dinner before the others, and that evening he had already cleaned his dishes. He said to the brothers to finish (what they were doing), as it was pratically the time of the Maghreb prayer. At that moment, when he got up and went to the shelter, a light noise was heard from the Ribaat position, and almost simultaneously about ten shots of automatic weapons were heard. Literally at the same instant, Saif al-Islam seized his "Stechkin" [A 9mm Russian pistol, from his holster, did a full turn toward the enemy, and shouted to everyone to take positions. 

Everybody ran like a lightning in the trenches, as they learned to do so during the alert exercises. Began the battle. The firing were dense, the infidels were using machine guns, submachine guns and grenade launchers. The Mujahideen, each being in its own position, answered the same. And only two were rushing between the trenches: Emir Saif al-Islam and Hanif the rocket launcher (RPG-7) gunner.  

The Emir, jumping out from trench to trench, checking whether there was any wounded, was repeatedly reminding everyone his firing sector, constantly urging for heavy fire, because it's psychologically difficult to keep firing at an invisible enemy. In one of the trenches a Mujahid said to Saif al-Islam: "Where to shoot? There's no one in sight..." - "Shoot, all the same !" - he replied.  

For Hanif, it was its first battle, but no one could believe it, and certainly not the infidels. Very tall, the thin Hanif, after two shots, jumped out from its entrenchment and started to run across the base with its RPG-7 . By his shots he "silenced" an enemy machine gun and several other enemy weapons emplacements. In this fight, Hanif made seven aimed shots with its rocket launcher, accompanying each shot by the cry: "Bismillaah! Allahu Akbar! "  

The battle lasted about ten minutes. Several times, the infidels tried to approach even closer to the base, to surround it and discover the weaknesses in the defense of the Mujahideen. But the intense and well-organized fire of the soldiers of Allah did not gave them this opportunity. Frequently, cries were heard from the infidel's side, it became clear that, by the will of Allah, another Mujahid's bullet achieved its purpose.  

The density and aimed fire of infidels was also high. One bullet made six holes in a Mujahid, by perforating his bent arm, on both side.  

In the end, the attack bogged down, and the infidels, while keeping shooting, began to withdraw. The Mujahideen continued to repel them out with automatic firing. When the shooting subsided, the Mujahideen packed their bags and quickly left the base. Hanif, the RPG gunner, tried to carry on himself the body of Hamza for a while, but it was critically slowing down the group, and it has been necessary to leave the body of the Shaheed.  

After retreating a few kilometers away from the base, the Mujahideen stopped. They needed to rest and examine two wounded among them.  

By the grace of Allah, the injuries were mild, none any vital organs nor bones were affected. Although one was hit in the groin, and another, as said earlier, had six holes in his body! After washing and bandaging the wounds, the Mujahideen kept going. They heard the noise of helicopters which were firing on their abandoned base.  

It is worth noting that the infidel troops never engages in a battle, if not confident in their numerical and positional advantage. For example, if they are ambushed, they do not engage in fight, instead, while firing back, they retreat and await reinforcements, since they don't know the number of their opponent's positions.  

However, in this battle, as it turned out later, despite their numerical superiority, the infidels lost three killed and five wounded. These heavy losses forced them to retreat and call for backup.  

Due to the foresight of an experienced Emir, the infidels did not caught our brethren unawares. In addition, an important success factor was the fact that Hamza (who was in the Ribaat position), while being mortally wounded, managed to shoot, and only Allah knows whether its bullets reached a target, but the main thing he did, is that he warned the brothers in the base by doing this.  

Almost all the brothers who participated in that battle, gave their lives in this way, in the following years, including Emir Saif al-Islam (Shaheed Insha'Allah in Dagestan, on Feb. 02, 2010).  

May Allah increase their acts His way, grant them Paradise and give patience to their relatives and friends.  

Praise be to Allah, the Lord of the worlds.  

The article was written by Huzaifa Targimho