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Safed Koh also known as Spin Ghar , "white
mountain", the Indian Caucasus as late as the 19th century, the Safīd
Mountain Range and as the Morga Range, is a mountain range in eastern
Afghanistan and expanding well to North-Western Pakistan.
Its highest peak, straight and rigid Mount Sikaram, towers above all
surrounding hills to 4,761 m (15,620 ft) above mean sea level. The Kabul
River cuts a narrow trough through the Safēd Kōh mountains to flow
eastward into the Indus River; otherwise, the range connects directly
with the Shandur Top offshoot of the Hindu Kush mountain system.
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The Khyber Pass crosses a spur of the Safēd Kōh range. The closest city
near the Safed Koh is Parachinar of Pakistan.
Above the nearly barren lower slopes, forests of pine and deodar cedar
thrived on the main range, but devastation during the Afghan civil war
reduced timber resources. The valleys still support some agriculture.
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According to the United States's military intelligence, many al-Qaeda
fighters, including Osama Bin Laden had used the Safed Koh range to
escape to Pakistan during the Tora Bora offensive in 2001.
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Since 2004, the Safēd Kōh mountain range had been a pivotal place and
theater of many battles fought by the foreign fighters of al-Qaeda and
the joint-warfare command of Pakistan Armed Forces to prevent the
foreign fighters incursion into Pakistan. |