Joaquín and two others led the way through the jungle thicket with machetes, followed by three more guerrillas armed with AK-47s.

While guerrillas armed with AK-47 assault rifles swarmed the stronghold, ambulances roared through the narrow streets carrying the wounded.

The Russians are fighting alongside Afghan Government forces against guerrillas armed by the United States and Pakistan.

And everywhere there are guerrillas, armed with Kalashnikov rifles and rocket-propelled grenades.

In a recent rebel attack, guerrillas armed with grenade launchers and automatic rifles attacked a truck carrying soldiers, the police said.

Last July, the guerrillas, armed mainly with shotguns and dynamite, began hitting military and economic targets.

Old men in traditional Afghan attire - long shirts, baggy trousers, wool vests and turbans or round hats with rolled brims - embraced as they met under the guard of guerrillas armed with automatic weapons.

Violence in Bosanski Brod began four weeks ago when Serbian guerrillas, armed by the pro-Serbian Yugoslav Army, attempted to capture a key bridge over the Sava River leading to Croatian territory.

The weapons have enabled the Kabul Government to hold off guerrillas armed by the United States.

Resistance units varied in size and composition, ranging from individually operating guerrillas, armed primarily for self-defense, to large and well-organized groups able to engage significant Soviet forces in battle.