Anniversary of Ahmad Shah Masoud's Martyrdom Honoured in Kabul

The ninth anniversary of the martyrdom of Afghan national hero, Ahmad Shah Masoud, was marked in the Afghan capital Kabul on Wednesday

Ahmad Shah Masoud, son of Dost Mohammad, was born in Jangalak village of Panjshir province in 1953.

When he was a student in Kabul Polytechnical Institute, he got acquainted with some political activists opposed to the ex-Afghan president, Mohammad Daud Khan, but he was arrested and later went to Pakistan to continue his political struggle.

During the nine years of Jihad against the former Soviet Union's invasion in Afghanistan, the Panjshir valley led by Masoud was the only area that did not come under Soviet control and the communist government forces were repeatedly defeated.

He entered Kabul with his forces in 1991 when the ex-Afghan president Dr Najibullah was forced to hand over power to the Mujahidden.

He served as defence minister during the 4 years of Mujahidden government led by Professor Burhanuddin Rabbani from 1992 to 1996.

Ahmad Shah Masoud was assassinated in a suicide attack by two Arabs posing as journalists in Khwaja Bahawoddin district of Takhar province in northern Afghanistan on September, 9, 2001 after years of struggle against the former Soviet Union's troops and later resisting against the Taliban.