Timeline of the Afghanistan War

1978
	24 April	Coup engineered by Nur Mohammed Tataki and Amin is successful and deposes Mohammed Daoud Khan. Between 1000 and 2000 are killed in coup. The new rulers welcome Soviet aid to boost nation's weak, feudal economy and to help with agrarian reforms.
1979
	March 15-21	Soon dissatisfaction with the Soviet-backed regime turned to action as anti-communist demonstrators seized the town of Herat near the Iranian border. The Afghan 15th division is ordered to restore the situation but soon joins the opposition. As many as 200 Soviet civilians and advisers butchered in Herat. Herat is then bombed by Afghans and Soviet planes leaving an estimated 5000 afghani dead.
	April	Soviet-piloted Mi-24 helicopters support a DRA Army offensive in the Kunar valley which kills an estimated 1000 when the village of Kerala is razed.
	17 May	Afghan mechanized brigade from the 7th division defects to the resistance.
	July	Battalion of Soviet paratroopers lands in Bagram airbase to protect the Soviet helicopter force.
	August	5th brigade of the 9th Afghan division mutinies and joins the resistance in the Kunar valley.
	August-October	General Pavlovskiy, chief of ground forces, leads a group of 50 soviet officers on a planning reconnaissance throughout Afghanistan.
	14 September	Primer Minister Amin's faction kills president Taraki in a gun battle.
	October	Insurrection in Afghan 7th division. Soviet forces begin mobilizing within Turkistan Military District.
	24 December	Soviet airborne division begins air landing in Kaboul.
	27 December	Soviet divisions cross border and begin advance south along the eastern and western highways. Soviet airborne and spetsnaz forces overthrow government and kill Amin the president.
	28 December	Babrak Karmal declared new president of the Democratic Republic of Afghanistan.
1980
		Soviet Invasion is condemned by United Nations General Assembly, the Non-Aligned Movement, and the Organization of Islamic Nations.
	1 January	Kandahar revolts and Soviet citizens and troops are hacked to pieces.
	21 February	Protests against the Soviet occupation in Kabul. Hundreds are killed and thousands are arrested. Anti-Soviet riot in Shindand put down by Soviet forces.
	February	Soviet sweep of Kunar valley
	March	Soviet push into Paktia results in the loss of a soviet battalion. Soviet sweep of Kunar valley.
	April	Soviet offensive in Pandshir valley.
	May	Soviet sweep of Ghazni and of Kunar valley.
	June	Soviet sweep of Ghazni valley.
	September	Pandsher I - Soviet forces sweep the Kunar valley.
	October	Pandshir II - Operation to eliminate forces missed during Pandsher I.
	November	Soviet sweep of Kunar valley. Soviet sweep of Wardak province. Lowgar valley offensive until mid-December.
1981
	February-May	Fighting in Kandahar.
	April	Pandsher III.
	June-July:	Nangahar offensive.
	4 July	108th MRD offensive in Sarobi Valley. Heavy fighting in Herat.
	August	Operation Pandsher IV.
	5 September	5th MRD offensive in Farah province.
	5 October	MRD sweeps around Herat. Unsuccessful DRA operation at Marmoul Gorge, Balkh province. Soviet offensive in Kandahar.
	December	Combined sweeps with DRA and 66th MRB in Nangahar. Fighting in Herat.
1982
	January	Fighting in Herat.
	February	City fighting in Kandahar
	May	Pandshir V, largest operation yet launched in retaliation for attack on Bagram air base.108th MRD governing headquarters for composite force drawn from 3 divisions (108th MRD, 201st MRD and 103rd ABD)
	July	Sweep against Paghman hills near Kaboul
	August-September	Pandshir VI
	November	Laghman valley offensive
	2 November	1000+ people killed during bombing of Salang Tunnel.
1983
	January	Lowgar valley offensive. Soviets negotiate cease-fire in Pandshir valley.
	April	Sweeps around Herat
	June	Ghazni offensive.
	August	Paktia province offensive.
	November	Shomali offensive.
1984
	April	Gora Tepa offensive. end of cease-fire in Pandsher valley. Pandsher VII, largest offensive yet, launched under control of 108th MRD. Operation also includes push up Andarab valley and Alishang valley. Soviets garrison lower valley and fighting continues throughout summer.
	June	Lowgar valley offensive. Herat and Kandahar offensives.
	July-August	Lowgar and Shomali valley offensive.
	August-October	Relief of Ali kheil garrison in Paktia by 70th MRB and 345th ABR.
	September	Pandsher VIII.
	October	Fighting in Herat.
	November	Paktia operation.
	December	Kunar valley offensive with 66th MRB and 345th ABR lasts until February.
1985
	April	Maidan valley offensive
	May-June	Kunar offensive and relief of Barikot garrison
	June	Pandsher IX launched in retaliation for fall of Pechgur
	July	Heavy fighting in Herat and Kandahar
	August-September	Paktia offensive. Largest offensive since Pandsher VII, relieved Khost but failed to take Zhawar base
1986
	March	Offensive around Andkhoy
	April	Paktia offensive takes Zhawar
	May	Offensive in the Arghandab near Kandahar
	June	Khejob valley offensive
	August	Lowgar valley offensive
	October	6 Soviet regiments withdrawn from Afghanistan.
	November	66th MRB offensive in Naizan valley
1987
	January-February	Temporary cease-fire for national reconciliation
	May-June	Arghandab offensive. Paktia offensive near Jadji
	14 July	Loss of Kalafghan garrison in Takhar province
	November-January	Operation Magistral to relieve Khost
1988
	March	Offensive to relieve Urgun in Paktia province
	April	Kandahar to Ghazni offensive
	14 April	Geneva accords signed
	April	Soviet withdrawal from Barikot, upper Kunar valley and Alikhel, Chowni and Chamakani in Paktia, Qalat in Zaboul
	May	66th MRB withdrawal from Jalalabad
	15 October	Half of Soviet force withdrawn
1989
	15 February	Last Soviet combat units withdrawn from Afghanistan.