▁accused ▁of ▁killing ▁tens ▁of ▁thousands ▁of ▁Afghan ▁civ ili ans ▁at ▁Pul - e - Ch ark hi ▁and ▁other ▁national ▁pr isons : ▁ 2 7 , 0 0 0 ▁polit ically ▁motiv ated ▁execution s ▁reported ly ▁took ▁place ▁at ▁Pul - e - Ch ark hi ▁prison ▁alone . ▁ ▁Soviet ▁inter vention ▁and ▁withdraw al ▁ ▁The ▁Soviet ▁Union ▁interven ed ▁in ▁Afghan istan ▁on ▁December ▁ 2 4 , ▁ 1 9 7 9 . ▁A min ▁was ▁de posed ▁from ▁power ▁almost ▁immediately , ▁as ▁he ▁and ▁ 2 0 0 ▁of ▁his ▁gu ards ▁were ▁killed ▁on ▁December ▁ 2 7 ▁by ▁Soviet ▁Army ▁Sp ets n az , ▁replaced ▁by ▁Bab rak ▁K arm al . ▁After ▁deployment ▁into ▁Afghan istan , ▁Soviet ▁forces ▁along ▁with ▁government ▁forces ▁would ▁begin ▁to ▁eng age ▁in ▁a ▁prot ract ed ▁counter - ins ur gency ▁war ▁with ▁mu j ah ide en ▁f igh ters . ▁Some ▁of ▁those ▁Islam ic ▁f igh ters ▁would ▁later ▁transform ▁into ▁the ▁Tal ib an ▁according ▁to ▁Professor ▁Car ole ▁Hill en brand ▁who ▁stated : ▁" The ▁West ▁helped ▁the ▁Tal ib an ▁to ▁fight ▁the ▁Soviet ▁take over ▁of ▁Afghan istan ". ▁ ▁The ▁Soviet ▁government ▁realized ▁that ▁a ▁military ▁solution ▁to ▁the ▁conflict ▁would ▁require ▁far ▁more ▁troops . ▁Because ▁of ▁this ▁they ▁discussed ▁tro op ▁withdraw als ▁and ▁searched ▁for ▁a ▁political ▁and ▁peace ful ▁solution ▁as ▁early ▁as ▁ 1 9 8 0 ,