Asadabad, Afghanistan
Encyclopedia
Asadabad or Asad Abad is the capital city of Kunar Province
Kunar Province
Kunar is one of the 34 provinces of Afghanistan, located in the northeastern part of the country. Its capital is Asadabad. It is one of the four "N2KL" provinces...

 in Afghanistan
Afghanistan
Afghanistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan, is a landlocked country located in the centre of Asia, forming South Asia, Central Asia and the Middle East. With a population of about 29 million, it has an area of , making it the 42nd most populous and 41st largest nation in the world...

. It is located in the eastern portion of the country adjacent to Pakistan. The city is located within a valley at the confluence of the Pech River and Kunar River
Kunar River
The Kunar River is about 480 km long, located in eastern Afghanistan and north-western Pakistan. The Kunar river system is fed from melting glaciers and snow of the Hindu Kush mountains....

 between two mountain ridgelines running along both sides of the valley from Northeast to Southwest.

Asadabad is in a mountainous region of the Hindu Kush mountains about eight miles northwest of the Pakistan
Pakistan
Pakistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan is a sovereign state in South Asia. It has a coastline along the Arabian Sea and the Gulf of Oman in the south and is bordered by Afghanistan and Iran in the west, India in the east and China in the far northeast. In the north, Tajikistan...

i border and 50 miles northeast of Jalalabad, Afghanistan. Asadabad deals with a moderate amount of trade goods. Nawa Pass, that lies about 10 miles south of Asadabad, is the next major border crossing point North of the Khyber Pass
Khyber Pass
The Khyber Pass, is a mountain pass linking Pakistan and Afghanistan.The Pass was an integral part of the ancient Silk Road. It is mentioned in the Bible as the "Pesh Habor," and it is one of the oldest known passes in the world....

 for the region. The pass is under constant observation due to its relative ease to cross for commerce and its potential usage for smuggling and Taliban insurgents.'
About 10% - 15% of the valley surrounding Asadabad is used for agriculture by using an ancient land development technique called terracing
Terrace (agriculture)
Terraces are used in farming to cultivate sloped land. Graduated terrace steps are commonly used to farm on hilly or mountainous terrain. Terraced fields decrease erosion and surface runoff, and are effective for growing crops requiring much water, such as rice...

. However, flooding and erosion have been an issue in the past. The primary crops are wheat, rice, sugarcane and vegetables. Multiple international agencies are assisting with these issues and other issues throughout the province. As of Jan 2009, growth around Asadabad has been substantial. Examples of development are:
  • Kunar province's main marketplace now has more than 600 stores, up from 100 just three years ago.
  • Provincial Reconstruction Teams (PRTs) have constructed 16 schools, 20 medical clinics, and 8 district centers.
  • PRTs completed construction on 13 roads and 11 bridges.
  • Agribusiness Developmental Teams (ADTs) have several evolving projects and over 10 demonstration farms.
  • Jalalabad-Asmar and Pech River roads have cut travel times in half and connected Asadabad centers of commerce with Jalabad.

Kunar Province
Kunar Province
Kunar is one of the 34 provinces of Afghanistan, located in the northeastern part of the country. Its capital is Asadabad. It is one of the four "N2KL" provinces...

 has some of the highest levels of military activity in the country and the city of Asadabad and its nearby Forward Operating Base (FOB) Wright, which overwatches the city and the river, holds a critical military security and support role for the all operations in the area. Forces that have been operating from the FOB, past and present, include Afghan and US Special Operations Forces, Afghan National Army (ANA), US Army Airborne,' Air Assault, Light Infantry units and Marines.' Additional specialized units and groups working the area include US Army Civil Affairs Teams (CATs),'Provincial Reconstruction Teams (PRTs)' and Agribusiness Development Teams (ADTs)' as well as numerous Government and Non-Government Organizations (NGOs) i.e. United States Agency for International Development (USAID), World Health Organization (WHO) and United Nations Development Program (UNDP).

Notable residents and incidents

  • Asadabad is claimed to be the birth place of Jamal-al-Din Afghani. The town hall
    Town Hall (disambiguation)
    Town Hall usually refers to a building housing a town government.Town Hall may also refer to:-Australia:* Sydney Town Hall** Town Hall railway station, a major railway station near the Sydney Town Hall-United States:...

     in Asadabad is named after him.
  • American Navy Lt. Michael P. Murphy
    Michael P. Murphy
    Michael Patrick Murphy was a United States Navy SEAL posthumously awarded the United States military's highest decoration, the Medal of Honor, for his actions in 2005 during the War in Afghanistan. He was the first person to be awarded the medal for actions in Afghanistan; and the first member of...

     was posthumously awarded the Medal Of Honor
    Medal of Honor
    The Medal of Honor is the highest military decoration awarded by the United States government. It is bestowed by the President, in the name of Congress, upon members of the United States Armed Forces who distinguish themselves through "conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his or her...

     for his actions during Operation Red Wing
    Operation Red Wing
    Operation Red Wings was a failed counter-insurgent mission in Kunar Province, Afghanistan, involving four members of the United States Navy SEALs, which took place on June 28, 2005....

    , which took place in the mountainous terrain near Asadabad.
  • The Battle of Maravar Pass
    Battle of Maravar Pass
    The Battle of Maravar Pass was an operation of the 1st Company of the 334th Detached Spetsnaz Group in Afghan villages of Sangam and Daridam on April 21, 1985, during the Soviet war in Afghanistan...

     - The Afghan Mujahideen
    Mujahideen
    Mujahideen are Muslims who struggle in the path of God. The word is from the same Arabic triliteral as jihad .Mujahideen is also transliterated from Arabic as mujahedin, mujahedeen, mudžahedin, mudžahidin, mujahidīn, mujaheddīn and more.-Origin of the concept:The beginnings of Jihad are traced...

    killed over 100 Soviet Spetsnaz in a 1985 ambush.
  • 34 Americans killed when an MH-47 was shot down with an RPG-7 near Asadabad
  • US Operations: "Big East Wind" and "Mountain Lion"

External links

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