Tanai, who has been described alternatively as a "radical nationalist" and a "hard-line communist" of the radical Khalq faction of the People's Democratic Party of Afghanistan, was fiercely anti-mujahideen yet launched an unlikely alliance with hardline Islamic fundamentalist rebel Gulbuddin Hekmatyar of the "Hezb-e Islami Gulbuddin" party. Tanai was against Najibullah's peace plans and supported a military solution to the conflict. Hekmatyar ordered his fighters to intensify their attacks against the Kabul regime in support of Tanai. The success of the coup was taken for granted. A previous coup attempt by Khalqists was foiled in December 1989, to which Tanai has been linked to. The coup occurred a year following the Soviet withdrawal from Afghanistan.