The Throat of the Mountain Trap

In eastern Afghanistan, there is a narrow canyon locals call “The Throat of the Mountain.”

A place so tight that sound bounces back before it escapes. In 1984, during the Soviet–Afghan

War, a Soviet reconnaissance team entered the canyon before dawn. The mission was

routine — scout, report, return. As they moved deeper, their radios began

to fail one by one. First static… then silence. The commander ordered a halt.

That’s when they heard it — stones clicking above them, slowly,

deliberately. They looked up… and saw shadows shifting along the cliffs.

Before any warning could be sent, a single shot echoed through the canyon. And the trap closed.