View source for Shah-i-Kot Valley

{{short description|Valley in Paktia province, eastern Afghanistan}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=November 2019}}

The '''Shah-i-Kot Valley''' (also Shahi-Kot, Shah-e-Kot and other variant spellings) is a valley in the [[Paktia]] province of [[Afghanistan]], southeast of the town of [[Zormat]]. The terrain in and around the valley is notoriously rugged, located at a [[mean]] [[altitude]] of {{convert|9,000|ft}}. Shah-i-Kot means "Place of the Kings" in [[Pashto]] and it has historically been a redoubt for Afghan [[guerrillas]] hiding from foreign invaders.

==History==
The area was the scene of fierce fighting between the Afghan [[mujahideen]] rebels and [[Soviet Union|Soviet forces]] during the [[Soviet–Afghan War]], as the [[battle for Hill 3234]].

In 2002 the valley was also the scene of [[Operation Anaconda]], one of the largest battles of the [[War in Afghanistan (2001–present)|War in Afghanistan]].<ref name="SeattleTimes20020304">{{cite news |url=http://archives.seattletimes.nwsource.com/cgi-bin/texis.cgi/web/vortex/display?slug=war04&date=20020304&query=A+force+of+about+1%2C000+U.S.+troops+and+their+Afghan+allies+continued+to+battle |title=Afghans: U.S. botched attack |work=[[Seattle Times]] |date=4 March 2002 |accessdate=2007-11-19}}</ref><ref name=SeattleTimes20020307>{{cite news |url=http://archives.seattletimes.nwsource.com/cgi-bin/texis.cgi/web/vortex/display?slug=war07&date=20020307&query=A+force+of+about+1%2C000+U.S.+troops+and+their+Afghan+allies+continued+to+battle |title=More troops may join fierce ground battle |work=[[Seattle Times]] |date=7 March 2002 |accessdate=2007-11-19}}</ref><ref name=SeattleTimes20020310>{{cite news |url=http://archives.seattletimes.nwsource.com/cgi-bin/texis.cgi/web/vortex/display?slug=notebook10&date=20020310&query=A+force+of+about+1%2C000+U.S.+troops+and+their+Afghan+allies+continued+to+battle |title=Notebook: Afghans push for surrender |work=[[Seattle Times]] |date=10 March 2002 |accessdate=2007-11-19}}</ref>

==See also==
* [[Khost-Gardez Pass]]

==References==
{{Reflist|30em}}

{{Paktia Province}}
{{War on Terror}}

{{coord missing|Afghanistan}}
[[Category:Valleys of Afghanistan]]
[[Category:Wars involving the Taliban]]
[[Category:Landforms of Paktia Province]]


{{Paktia-geo-stub}}