 Airborne Troops carried out search and destroy missions, encircling Massoud's mobile units and destroying some of them.However, as a rule attrition among the Mujahideen was low, and the brunt of the attacks fell on the civilian population, who suffered heavily, many of them preferring to flee the valley.Despite bitter fighting, the Soviets were unable to eradicate the Mujahideen, and the battle soon developed into a stalemate.