Rishkor Complex, Afghanistan

Foreign recruits were trained at the former 7th Infantry Division's military post at Rishkhor [34°24'50"N 069°08'43"E], 15 kilometers southwest of the center of Kabul and 5-7 kilometers from Kabul's southern suburbs. The camp, run by Harakat-ul-Mujahideen and Arabs loyal to Osama bin Laden, is located just half an hour from Kabul. The security of the camp was guarded through surrounding hills and posts established along the only road leading to the camp.

The complex consisted of two compounds, one of which was a Taliban-run basic training facility for Afghan and Pakistani volunteers. The bin-Laden camp consisted of a dozen one-story buildings surrounded by a 10-foot-tall mud brick wall. Rishkhor was the base of those Arab and Pakistani combatants who had arrived there to fight along side the Taliban. This "Special Training Center" reportedly trained from 1,000 to 1,500 recruits at a time, with a course of instruction lasting up to six weeks. Training included small arms and demolitions, and small unit leadership. Graduates from this program operate in platoon-sized units that were organized separately from other Afghan formations.

In the early 1980s a livestock project was established at Rishkhor with a capacity of 500 cows which would produce 600 tons of milk annually and raise 4,000 cows and calves. One of the first attack by Afghan insurgents against a bivouac of Soviet troops occured at Rishkhor army base on 31 December 1979.

The Ikonos below was acquired on 25 December, 1999

Overview Maps of the Rishkor Training Complex
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Overview of the Kabul area	General location of the Rishkor complex
Area surrounding the Rishkor complex	The Rishkor complex as depicted by this 1982 Russian Map

Ikonos Images of the Rishkor Complex
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Overview of the Rishkor complex	A Soviet-style weapons storage area
Soviet 7th Infantry Division barracks which have been taken over by the Taliban and Al-Quada	Support building and with tunnels on the left side of the image
Support buildings and tunnels near the top of the image	An excersize track at the top of the image and a defensive trench network used for training
Unidentified buildings, constructed some time after 1982	An observation post on the hill crest and four storage tunnels on the right of the mountain side
A closer view of the defensive trenches. These appear to be used for light infantry training.	A hilltop communication center. This location would be ideal for an early warning radar and SAM site