 By 28 November, they had cleared Ghalgai, Dara, and Saruti Kandau at the base of the Shabak Khel valley, while a flanking force made its way into the Kanai valley.On 30 November, a force of 900 Afghan commandos were airlifted into Shabak Khel valley.Heavy fighting also broke out in the neighbouring Kanai valley, where DRA troops advanced slowly but surely, building defensive outposts as they went, and suffering from punishing Mujahideen counter-attacks, that inflicted heavy losses.