Mohammed Yakub

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Mohammed Yaqub was a senior Afghan military officer who served as the Chief of General Staff of the Democratic Republic of Afghanistan from 1 April 1979 until his death on 27 December 1979. A member of the Khalq faction of the People's Democratic Party of Afghanistan, he was closely aligned with Hafizullah Amin and was married to Amin’s sister. Yaqub trained in the Soviet Union, attending the Ryazan Higher Airborne Command School, and became a master paratrooper of the 444th Commando Battalion. He helped lead the Afghan Presidential Guard and played a key role in the Saur Revolution of 1978, which toppled Daoud Khan.

After the coup, Yaqub was appointed Chief of General Staff and promoted to lieutenant colonel. In June 1979, Hafizullah Amin became Minister of National Defense, giving Yaqub and Amin substantial control over the military. He was elected to the Central Committee of the PDPA on 23 October 1979. Soviet-era sources describe him as strong-willed, decisive, and deeply loyal to Amin.

Yaqub was killed during the Tajbeg Palace assault on 27 December 1979. Accounts vary on the exact circumstances, but he was fatally wounded while the palace was being attacked and arrested. His death marked the end of his prominent role in Afghanistan’s military leadership under Amin.