Khost District

Khost District, historically known as Matun, is a municipality situated in the central and southeastern part of Khost Province in Afghanistan. It has an estimated population of 170,615 people. The cit of Khost is within the district. Shaikh [Zayed University] is located to the northwest of the city, and Khost International Airport is situated about to the southwest in the neighboring Mandozayi District. The main road in the district is the Khost-Gardez Highway.

History

On 2 January 1879, General Roberts, 1st Earl Roberts|Roberts] entered Matun from Hazir Pir in the Kurram valley, with a small armed contingent. The intent was to pacify the district, which was described as "an unsophisticated country where the revenue had hitherto been collected in copper."
During the Soviet–Afghan War, the Afghan mujahideen blockaded Khost District, cutting off all lines of communication. The Soviets were forced to respond with Operation Magistral in 1987 to reopen the Khost–Gardez Highway and bring relief to the District. Khost District was the scene of intense fighting in 1987, with over 1,500 mujahideen and one American adviser killed by DRA troops, according to Tass, the official Soviet news agency.