| Unai Pass گذرگاه اونی | |
|---|---|
| Elevation | 3,252 m (10,669 ft)[1] |
| Location | Maidan Wardak,Afghanistan |
| Coordinates | 34°28′01″N68°19′44″E / 34.467°N 68.329°E /34.467; 68.329 |
TheUnai Pass orOnai Pass (Persian:گذرگاه اونی) is a mountain pass on the western side of the Paghman Mountains[2] inJalrez District,Maidan Wardak Province, Afghanistan. It is of strategical importance due to its geographical location to the southwest ofKabul. TheSarchashma River flows through the pass, which is the upstream part of theKabul River.[3] The Maidan River, a tributary of the Kabul/Sarchashma rises at the pass at an altitude of about 3,300 metres (10,800 ft).[4]
Due to its importance, the pass has had a long history of being the focus of conflict in Afghanistan. In 1929, Muhammad Mir Fath (1901-1964) was one of three Hazara commanders who defeated the forces ofHabibullah Kalakani at the pass between March and September of that year.[5] Themujahedin took the Unai Pass in the spring of 1979 during the war against theSoviet-backed Afghan communist regime, and Jalrez district was one of the earliest districts to be taken.[3] In 1983, theHazaraAl-Nasr group attacked theHarakat Islami in Siasang and the area near the pass.[6]
In 2008, the Ministry of Public Works began the rehabilitation of 136 kilometres of the Kabul highway,[7] with a 36 million euros funding from the Italian government. The first phase of the project, Lot No 1, began in 2008 with the rehabilitation of a 54-kilometre stretch of earth road starting inMaidan Shar and working towards the Unai Pass.[8]
Capital:Jalrez | |
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