Osama bin Laden, a scion of the wealthy Saudi Binladin Group, went to Pakistan in early 1980 to support the Afghan resistance against the Soviet invaders, considering it a Jihad.

The magazine proved to be a potent recruitment tool, attracting Muslims worldwide to join the Afghan war, effectively transforming it into a global Jihad.

[7] Bin Laden selected the mountainous region of Jaji as the site for his operations, which he named "Masada," meaning "the Lion's Den."

Among the Afghan leaders were Jalaluddin Haqqani, Mohammed Anwar, and Abdul Rasul Sayyaf, whose experienced troops were carrying Stinger and Blowpipe missiles that threatened Soviet gunships.

[5][14] The Mujahideen al-Masada ("Lion's Den") compound had been constructed by Osama bin Laden, in order to have a training facility that didn't rely on Pakistan.

[21] Amidst the relentless Soviet bombardments, bin Laden grew concerned that his men couldn't hold out much longer if they remained.

In the heat of the battle, there were only nine Mujahideen defenders left alive inside the compound, but the Soviets did not realize this weakness and failed to take advantage of the situation before reinforcements arrived.

[13] After handing over the al-Masada compound to his Afghan allies, bin Laden led his men to a vantage point among the trees, where they could observe a Soviet force just seventy meters away.

While bin Laden's nap has often been portrayed in Jihadi propaganda as evidence of his holy grace and peaceful steadfastness under fire, journalist Lawrence Wright suggests a more plausible explanation.

By five o'clock in the afternoon, the Arab fighters managed to outflank the Soviet forces, who opted for a retreat due to the lack of available air support at that moment.

[25][14] In the end, the Mujahideen successfully held their complex system of tunnels and caves named al-Masada just outside the village of Jaji, near the Pakistani border, from Soviet capture.

Following the skirmish, Abu Ubayda presented bin Laden with a small Kalikov AK-74 assault rifle he had recovered from a dead Soviet soldier.

[21] Despite the pivotal role played by the Arab fighters, the majority of the fighting was actually conducted by the Mujahideen forces under the command of Abdul Rasul Sayyaf.

After the battle, Sayyaf assumed control of the al-Masada compound, utilizing it strategically as an outpost overseeing a vital caravan supply route.

[27] While Ahmed Khadr, often praised the bravery of the mujahideen fighters in Jaji when discussing it with his children, he never confirmed his personal participation in the battle.

[28] Essam al-Ridi, an American who took part in the battle, later shared his disillusionment, claiming that approximately 50 Mujahideen fighters had been killed while only two Soviet soldiers had perished.

[29] Although relatively unimportant in military terms, the battle had been chronicled daily by Jamal Khashoggi, a Saudi journalist, and his reporting in Al Majalla and in Arab News.

[30][31][32] The battle's true significance lay in the creation of mythic narratives portraying "divine miracles" and a remarkable victory as chronicled by these Arab sources.

[11] Abdullah Anas, one of the co-founders of Maktab al-Khadamat along with Azzam and bin Laden, estimated that between three and four thousand volunteers showed up between 1987 and 1989 to join the Afghan jihad.