Shindand SuperCobra incident
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The Shindand SuperCobra incident involved the downing of two Iranian Bell AH-1 SuperCobras by Soviet forces near Shindand, Herat Province. It was the only air to air engagement between Soviet and Iranian forces in the Soviet-Afghan War that took place inside Afghanistan.
| Shindand SuperCobra incident | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Part of Soviet Afghan war | |||||||
| |||||||
| Belligerents | |||||||
 Iran |
 Soviet Union | ||||||
| Commanders and leaders | |||||||
|
Hossein Hassani Sa'di |
V. Astakhov B. Gavrilov | ||||||
| Units involved | |||||||
| Casualties and losses | |||||||
|
2 Bell AH-1 SuperCobras shot down At least 3 personnel killed | None | ||||||
Background
During the Soviet-Afghan War, Iran supported the Shia Mujahideen, namely the Persian speaking Shiite Hazaras. One of these groups was the Tehran Eight, a political union of Afghan Shi'a.[1] They were supplied predominantly by the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps. This further strained the already tense relations between Soviet Union and Iran.
Shootdown
On 26 September 1988 two Iranian Air force Bell AH-1 SuperCobras intruded into Afghan airspace southeast of Shindand, Herat Province.[2] Two Soviet MiG-23ML of the 120th Guards Fighter Aviation Regiment piloted by B. Gavrilov and V. Astakhov were dispatched. The MiGs fired R-24 missiles at the SuperCobras, destroying both and killing at least 3 personnel on board.[3]
Aftermath
The incident was the last air-to-air kill by Soviets in the Soviet Afghan war. Soon after, the Soviets retreated from Afghanistan. The Tehran Eight also attacked Soviet forces more frequently after the incident.[4]
