Afghan Mujahideen, January 1980 On December 25, 1979, Soviet troops invaded Afghanistan in order to suppress mujahideen guerrillas who were trying to overthrow the nation’s secular, pro-Soviet regime. These rebel forces were among the guerrillas who defeated the Soviets after a decade of warfare and eventually established an Islamic theocracy. © Pascal Manoukian/Sygma/Corbis