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Shahnawaz Tanai (1950-7 March 2022) was Chief of the Army Staff of the Democratic Republic of Afghanistan from 1986 to 1990.

Biography[]

Tanai was born in Khost Province, Afghanistan in 1950, and he became a general of the communist Democratic Republic of Afghanistan during the Soviet-Afghan War. He served as Chief of the Army Staff from 1986 to 1990, when he attempted to overthrow his former friend and the current president, Mohammad Najibullah. Tanai was both fiercely pro-Soviet and a Pashtun nationalist radical who requested multiple times that Afghan Scud Missiles be launched at Islamabad. However despite being a radical Communist he maintained some ties with the Mujahideen, specifically Hezbi Islami led by Gulbuddin Hekmatyar. He was fired for his attempted coup in 1990, but, two years later, the anti Pashtun Northern Alliance seized Kabul from the Socialist government. During the 21st century, Tanai continued to be involved in Afghan politics. He died in 2022 at the age of 72.

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