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Five armored vehicles climb up a steep, winding road in the darkness.

In the last vehicle sits Colonel

Oleg Balashev, a squad leader in the highly trained Soviet special forces here to assassinate

radical Afghan leader Hafizullah Amin, part of a larger plan to take control of Afghanistan and establish

a pro-communist regime. Colonel Balashev closes his eyes and goes over the plan in his head.

After traversing the serpentine path up the hill,

the squad will reach the heavily guarded gate of the Tajbek palace.

But just as he thinks about the opposition he might face at the gate,

there's a deafening explosion.

Afghan troops have spotted the approaching Soviets and begun hurling grenades.

Balashev's eyes shoot open, and he and the three other men in the vehicle ready their weapons.

Colonel Balashev gives his men a glance, and they nod back.

They are ready.

Colonel Balashev and his men leap out of their view and immediately face incoming fire.

All around them, the ground trembles with explosions.

But through the haze of dust and smoke, the Soviet special forces fight their way forward,

reaching the fortified gate.

With practiced efficiency, Colonel Balashev and his men rush and overtake the

...