War in Afghanistan (2001–2021)

This article is about the American war in Afghanistan. For the Soviet war in Afghanistan, see Soviet–Afghan War. For the global military campaign resulting from the September 11 attacks, see War on terror. For other uses, see War in Afghanistan.

War in Afghanistan (2001–2021)
Part of the war on terror and the Afghan conflict

Clockwise from top-left:
American troops in a firefight with Taliban insurgents in Kunar Province; An American F-15E Strike Eagle dropping 2000 pound JDAMs on a cave in eastern Afghanistan; an Afghan soldier surveying atop a Humvee; Afghan and American soldiers move through snow in Logar Province; victorious Taliban fighters after securing Kabul; an Afghan soldier surveying a valley in Parwan Province; British troops preparing to board a Chinook during Operation Black Prince
Date7 October 2001 – 30 August 2021
(19 years, 10 months, 3 weeks and 2 days)
Location
Afghanistan[a]
Result Taliban victory[32]
Territorial
changes		 Taliban control over Afghanistan increases compared to pre-intervention territory
Belligerents
Invasion (2001):
 Invasion (2001):
  • Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan

Non-state allies:

  • Al-Qaeda
    • 055 Brigade
  • Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan[1]
    Tehreek-e-Nafaz-e-Shariat-e-Mohammadi[2][3]
    Jama'at al-Tawhid wal-Jihad[4][5]
ISAF/RS phase (2001–2021):
 ISAF/RS phase (2001–2021):
  •  Taliban
    •  ·  Haqqani network[11] (from 2002)
  •  al-Qaeda
    •  ·  Al-Qaeda in the Indian Subcontinent[12]
  • Taliban splinter groups
    •  ·  Mullah Dadullah Front (from 2012)[13]
    •  ·  Fidai Mahaz (from 2013)
  • Supported by:

RS phase (2015–2021):

ISIL–KP (from 2015)[30]
  • Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan (since 2015)[31]
Commanders and leaders
List
List
  • {{Preview warning|unrecognized country in Template:flag icon}} Mullah Omar #
  • {{Preview warning|unrecognized country in Template:flag icon}} Akhtar Mansour †
  • {{Preview warning|unrecognized country in Template:flag icon}} Hibatullah Akhundzada
  • {{Preview warning|unrecognized country in Template:flag icon}} Obaidullah Akhund †[34]
  • {{Preview warning|unrecognized country in Template:flag icon}} Jalaluddin Haqqani #
  • {{Preview warning|unrecognized country in Template:flag icon}} Sirajuddin Haqqani
  • {{Preview warning|unrecognized country in Template:flag icon}} Mullah Yaqoob
  • {{Preview warning|unrecognized country in Template:flag icon}} Abdul Ghani Baradar
  • Gulbuddin Hekmatyar
  • {{Preview warning|unrecognized country in Template:flag icon}} Osama bin Laden †
  • {{Preview warning|unrecognized country in Template:flag icon}} Ayman al-Zawahiri
  • Asim Umar †
  • Muhammad Rasul
  • Haji Najibullah[35]
  • Shahab al-Muhajir[36]
  • Hafiz Saeed Khan †
  • Mawlavi Habib Ur Rahman[37]
  • Abdul Haseeb Logari †
  • Abdul Rahman Ghaleb †
  • Abu Saad Erhabi †
  • Abdullah Orokzai (POW)
  • Qari Hekmat †
  • Mufti Nemat 
  • Dawood Ahmad Sofi †
  • Mohamed Zahran †
  • Ishfaq Ahmed Sofi †
Strength
  • ISAF: 130,000+ (peak strength)[38]
  • Afghan National Defense and Security Forces: 307,947 (peak strength, January 2021)[39]
  • Resolute Support Mission: 17,178 (peak strength, October 2019)[40]
  • Defence contractors: 117,227 (peak strength, Q2 2012)[41]
  • High Council of the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan: 3,000–3,500[42]
  • Khost Protection Force: 3,000–10,000 (2018)[43]
  • {{Preview warning|unrecognized country in Template:flag icon}} Taliban: 58,000–100,000
    (as of February 2021)[44]
  • HIG: 1,500–2,000+ (2014)[48]
  • al-Qaeda: c. 300 in 2016[49][50][51] (c. 3,000 in 2001)[49]
  • Fidai Mahaz: 8,000 (2013)[35]
{{Preview warning|unrecognized country in Template:flag icon}} ISIL–KP: 3,500–4,000 (2018, in Afghanistan)[52]
Casualties and losses
  • Afghan security forces:
    66,000–69,095 killed[53][54]
  • Northern Alliance:
    200 killed[55][56][57][58][59]
  • Coalition:
    • Dead: 3,579
      • United States: 2,420
      • United Kingdom: 457[60]
      • Canada: 159
      • France: 90
      • Germany: 62
      • Italy: 53
      • Others: 338
    • Wounded: 23,536
  • Contractors
  • Total killed: 76,591

Taliban insurgents:
80,000+ killed[67] (2,000+ al-Qaeda fighters)[49]

ISIL–KP:
2,400+ killed[30]
  • Civilians killed: 46,319[54]
  • Total killed: 176,206 (per Costs of War Project)[68]
  • 212,191+ (per UCDP)[69]
  • Total killed in related insurgency in Pakistan: 66,650[54]
  • a The continued list includes nations who have contributed fewer than 200 troops as of November 2014.[70]
  • b The continued list includes nations who have contributed fewer than 200 troops as of May 2017.[71]

The war in Afghanistan was a prolonged armed conflict lasting from 2001 to 2021. It began with an invasion by a United States–led coalition under the name Operation Enduring Freedom in response to the September 11 attacks carried out by the Taliban-allied and Afghanistan-based al-Qaeda. The Taliban were expelled from major population centers by American-led forces supporting the anti-Taliban Northern Alliance, thus toppling the Taliban-ruled Islamic Emirate. Three years later, the American-sponsored Islamic Republic was established, but by then the Taliban, led by founder Mullah Omar, had reorganized and begun an insurgency against the Afghan government and coalition forces. The conflict ended decades later as the 2021 Taliban offensive reestablished the Islamic Emirate. It was the longest war in United States military history, surpassing the Vietnam War by six months.

Following the September 11 attacks, masterminded by al-Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden, American president George W. Bush demanded that the Taliban immediately extradite him to the United States and close down al-Qaeda's camps in Afghanistan; the Taliban refused and demanded evidence of bin Laden's guilt before offering to hand him over to a neutral country. The U.S. dismissed these offers and proceeded with the invasion. After expelling the Taliban and their allies, the American-led coalition remained in Afghanistan, forming the International Security Assistance Force (ISAF)—sanctioned by the United Nations—with the goal of creating a new democratic authority in the country that would prevent the Taliban from returning to power.[72] A new Afghan Interim Administration was established, and international rebuilding efforts were launched.[73] By 2003, the Taliban had reorganized and launched a widespread insurgency against the new Afghan government and coalition forces. Insurgents from the Taliban and other Islamist groups waged asymmetric warfare, fighting with guerrilla warfare in the countryside, suicide attacks

Preview warning: Page using Template:Broken anchor with unknown parameter "diff_id"

against urban targets, and reprisals against perceived Afghan collaborators. By 2007, large parts of Afghanistan had been retaken by the Taliban.[74][75] In response, the coalition sent a major influx of troops for counter-insurgency operations, with a "clear and hold" strategy for villages and towns; this influx peaked in 2011, when roughly 140,000 foreign troops were operating under ISAF command across Afghanistan.[76]

An American covert operation in neighboring Pakistan led to the killing of Osama bin Laden in May 2011, and NATO leaders began planning an exit strategy from Afghanistan.[77][78] On 28 December 2014, NATO formally ended ISAF combat operations in Afghanistan and officially transferred full security responsibility to the Afghan government. Unable to eliminate the Taliban through military means, coalition forces (and separately, the Afghan government led by Ashraf Ghani) turned to diplomacy to end the conflict.[79] These efforts culminated in the United States–Taliban deal in February 2020, which stipulated the withdrawal of all US troops from Afghanistan by 2021.[80] In exchange, the Taliban pledged to prevent any militant group from staging attacks from Afghan territory against the US and its allies.[81] However, the Afghan government was not a party to the deal and rejected its terms.[82] Coinciding with the withdrawal of troops, the Taliban launched a broad offensive throughout the summer of 2021, successfully reestablishing their control over Afghanistan, including the capital city of Kabul on 15 August. On the same day, the last president of the Islamic Republic, Ashraf Ghani, fled the country; the Taliban declared victory and the war was formally brought to a close.[83] By 30 August, the last American military aircraft departed from Afghanistan, ending the protracted American-led military presence in the country.[84][85]

Overall, the war killed an estimated 176,000–212,000+ people, including 46,319 civilians. In addition, 66,650 people were killed in the related War in North-West Pakistan.[86] While more than 5.7 million former refugees returned to Afghanistan after the 2001 invasion,[87] by the time the Taliban returned to power in 2021, 2.6 million Afghans remained refugees,[88] while another 4 million were internally displaced.[89][90]

  1. ^ "Uzbek Militancy in Pakistan's Tribal Region" (PDF). Institute for the Study of War. 27 January 2011. Retrieved 30 November 2023.
  2. ^ "Inside rebel Pakistan cleric's domain - USATODAY.com". USA Today. 1 May 2009. Archived from the original on 1 May 2009. Retrieved 30 November 2023.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link)
  3. ^ "Top Pakistani militant released". BBC News. 21 April 2008. Archived from the original on 22 May 2009. Retrieved 30 November 2023.
  4. ^ Whitlock, Craig (8 June 2006). "Al-Zarqawi's Biography". The Washington Post. Archived from the original on 20 October 2012. Retrieved 30 November 2023.
  5. ^ Bergen, Peter. " The Osama bin Laden I Know, 2006
  6. ^ "ISAF's mission in Afghanistan (2001–2014)". NATO. 30 May 2022. Retrieved 19 March 2025.
  7. ^ "Resolute Support Mission (RSM): Key Facts and Figures" (PDF). NATO.
  8. ^ Multiple sources:
  9. ^ a b "Local Officials Criticized for Silence on Shindand Strike". TOLOnews. 11 January 2020.
  10. ^ Raghavan, Sudarsan (3 December 2015). "CIA runs shadow war with Afghan militia implicated in civilian killings". The Washington Post. Retrieved 19 March 2025.
  11. ^ Joscelyn, Thomas; Roggio, Bill (31 July 2015). "The Taliban's new leadership is allied with al Qaeda". The Long War Journal. Retrieved 19 March 2025.
  12. ^ Hardaha, Rashi (24 July 2021). "Al-Qaeda operates under Taliban protection: UN report". India TV News. Retrieved 14 September 2021.
  13. ^ Nordland, Rod (19 May 2012). "In Afghanistan, New Group Begins Campaign of Terror". The New York Times. Retrieved 25 June 2021.
  14. ^ "Taliban storm Kunduz city". The Long War Journal. Retrieved 30 September 2015.
  15. ^ "Central Asian groups split over leadership of global jihad". The Long War Journal. 24 August 2015. Retrieved 27 August 2015.
  16. ^ "Who is Lashkar-e-Jhangvi?". Voice of America. 25 October 2016. Retrieved 2 June 2017.
  17. ^ "ISIS 'Outsources' Terror Attacks to the Pakistani Taliban in Afghanistan: U.N. Report". Newsweek. 15 August 2017.
  18. ^ Multiple sources:
  19. ^ Jamal, Umair (23 May 2020). "Understanding Pakistan's Take on India-Taliban Talks". The Diplomat.
  20. ^ Farmer, Ben (26 August 2020). "Pakistan urges Taliban to get on with Afghan government talks". The National.
  21. ^ Multiple sources:
  22. ^ Noorzai, Roshan; Sahinkaya, Ezel; Gul Sarwan, Rahim (3 July 2020). "Afghan Lawmakers: Russian Support to Taliban No Secret". Voice of America.
  23. ^ "Russian ambassador denies Moscow supporting Taliban". Reuters. 25 April 2016.
  24. ^ "Saudis Bankroll Taliban, Even as King Officially Supports Afghan Government". The New York Times. 12 June 2016.
  25. ^ Ramani, Samuel (7 September 2017). "What's Behind Saudi Arabia's Turn Away From the Taliban?". The Diplomat.
  26. ^ "Qatar's Dirty Hands". National Review. 3 August 2017.
  27. ^ "Saudi has evidence Qatar supports Taliban: Envoy". Pajhwok Afghan News. 7 August 2017.
  28. ^ "China offered Afghan militants bounties to attack US soldiers: reports". Deutsche Welle. 31 December 2020.
  29. ^ Gittleson, Ben (1 January 2021). "US investigating unconfirmed intel that China offered bounties on American troops". ABC7 San Francisco. A spokesperson for China's foreign ministry, Wang Wenbin, on Thursday denied the accusation, calling it a 'smear and slander against China' that was 'completely nonsense' and 'fake news'.
  30. ^ a b Seldin, Jeff (18 November 2017). "Afghan Officials: Islamic State Fighters Finding Sanctuary in Afghanistan". Voice of America. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 18 November 2017.
  31. ^ "A look at the Islamic State affiliate's rise in Afghanistan". AP News. 19 August 2019.
  32. ^ Multiple sources:
  33. ^ Khan, Tahir (16 May 2021). "Rebel Taliban leader dies of injuries days after attack". Daily Times.
  34. ^ "Taliban leader Mullah Omar died in a Karachi hospital in 2013, says Afghanistan". The Express Tribune. 29 July 2015. Retrieved 29 July 2015.
  35. ^ a b "Mullah Najibullah: Too Radical for the Taliban". Newsweek. 30 August 2013. Retrieved 22 August 2015.
  36. ^ "Who Is the New Leader of Islamic State-Khorasan Province?". Lawfare. 2 September 2020.
  37. ^ Shalizi, Hamid (7 April 2018). "Afghan air strike kills Islamic State commander". Reuters.
  38. ^ "ISAF's mission in Afghanistan (2001-2014)". NATO. 30 May 2022. Retrieved 17 July 2023.
  39. ^ "July 30, 2021 Quarterly Report to Congress" (PDF). Sigar. 30 July 2021. Retrieved 20 July 2023.
  40. ^ "NATO and Afghanistan RSM Placemats Archive". NATO. Retrieved 17 July 2023.
  41. ^ Peters, Heidi (22 February 2021). "Department of Defense Contractor and Troop Levels in Afghanistan and Iraq: 2007–2020" (PDF). United States: Congressional Research Service. CRS Report R44116. Retrieved 17 July 2023.
  42. ^ DuPée, Matthew (January 2018). "Red on Red: Analyzing Afghanistan's Intra-Insurgency Violence". Combating Terrorism Center. Retrieved 18 February 2018.
  43. ^ Mashal, Mujib (31 December 2018). "C.I.A.'s Afghan Forces Leave a Trail of Abuse and Anger". The New York Times.
  44. ^ Hollingsworth, Julia. "Who are the Taliban and how did they take control of Afghanistan so swiftly?". CNN. Retrieved 16 July 2023.
  45. ^ Rassler, Don; Brown, Vahid (14 July 2011). "The Haqqani Nexus and the Evolution of al-Qaida" (PDF). Harmony Program. Combating Terrorism Center. Retrieved 2 August 2011.
  46. ^ "Sirajuddin Haqqani dares US to attack N Waziristan". The Express Tribune. Reuters. 24 September 2011. Retrieved 10 April 2014.
  47. ^ Perlez, Jane (14 December 2009). "Rebuffing U.S., Pakistan Balks at Crackdown". The New York Times.
  48. ^ Gunaratna, Rohan; Woodall, Douglas, eds. (16 January 2015). Afghanistan after the Western Drawdown. Rowman & Littlefield. ISBN 9781442245068. Retrieved 13 August 2015.
  49. ^ a b c "In Afghanistan, al-Qaeda is working more closely with the Taliban, Pentagon says". The Washington Post. 6 May 2016.
  50. ^ Roggio, Bill (26 April 2011). "How many al Qaeda operatives are now left in Afghanistan? – Threat Matrix". Long War Journal. Archived from the original on 6 July 2014. Retrieved 10 April 2014.
  51. ^ "Al Qaeda in Afghanistan Is Attempting A Comeback". The Huffington Post. 21 October 2012. Archived from the original on 10 December 2013. Retrieved 10 April 2014.
  52. ^ "S/2018/705 - E - S/2018/705 -Desktop". UNDOCS.
  53. ^ "Exhausted and abandoned: why Afghanistan's army collapsed". The Express Tribune. 7 September 2021.
  54. ^ a b c d "Human and Budgetary Costs to Date of the U.S. War in Afghanistan, 2001–2022". The Costs of War. August 2021. Retrieved 2 September 2021.
  55. ^ "Scores Killed in Fresh Kunduz Fighting". Fox News. 26 November 2001. Retrieved 2 October 2008.
  56. ^ Morello, Carol; Loeb, Vernon (6 December 2001). "Friendly fire kills 3 GIs". Post-Gazette. Retrieved 2 October 2008.
  57. ^ McCarthy, Terry (18 November 2001). "A Volatile State of Siege After a Taliban Ambush". Time. Archived from the original on 30 May 2012. Retrieved 2 October 2008.
  58. ^ Gul, Ayaz (9 December 2001). "Afghan/Fighting (L-O)". Globalsecurity.org. Retrieved 9 February 2010.
  59. ^ "US Bombs Wipe Out Farming Village". Revolutionary Association of the Women of Afghanistan. Retrieved 9 February 2010.
  60. ^ "Afghanistan statistics: UK deaths, casualties, mission costs and refugees" (PDF). United Kingdom: House of Commons. Retrieved 18 August 2020.
  61. ^ "Casualty Status" (PDF). United States: Department of Defense.
  62. ^ "Number of Afghanistan UK Military and Civilian casualties (7 October 2001 to 30 November 2014)" (PDF). GOV.UK. Retrieved 28 June 2017.
  63. ^ "Canadian Forces' Casualty Statistics (Afghanistan)". Canada News Center. 10 June 2013. Retrieved 24 July 2018.
  64. ^ "Over 2,000 Canadians were wounded in Afghan mission: report". National Post. Retrieved 1 February 2012.
  65. ^ a b "Defense Base Act Case Summary by Nation". United States: Office of Workers' Compensation Programs, Department of Labor. Retrieved 2 August 2011.
  66. ^ a b Miller, T. Christian (23 September 2009). "U.S. Government Private Contract Worker Deaths and Injuries". Pro Publica. Retrieved 2 August 2011.
  67. ^ Cite error: The named reference Giustozzi 260–263 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  68. ^ "Human Cost of Post-9/11 Wars: Direct War Deaths in Major War Zones, Afghanistan & Pakistan (Oct. 2001 – Aug. 2021); Iraq (March 2003 – March 2023); Syria (Sept. 2014 – March 2023); Yemen (Oct. 2002 – Aug. 2021) and Other Post-9/11 War Zones". Watson Institute, Brown University. March 2023.
  69. ^ "Afghanistan". Uppsala Conflict Data Program. Archived from the original on 3 December 2024.
  70. ^ "International Security Assistance Force (ISAF): Key Facts and Figures" (PDF). NATO. 7 November 2014.
  71. ^ "Resolute Support Mission (RSM): Key Facts and Figures" (PDF). NATO.
  72. ^ Xu, Ruike (5 January 2017). Alliance Persistence within the Anglo-American Special Relationship: The Post-Cold War Era. Springer. ISBN 978-3-319-49619-1.
  73. ^ "Securing, Stabilizing, and Reconstructing Afghanistan: Key Issues for Congressional Oversight". www.govinfo.gov. Retrieved 31 October 2022.
  74. ^ Norton-Taylor, Richard (22 November 2007). "Afghanistan 'falling into hands of Taliban'". The Guardian. Archived from the original on 15 August 2021. Retrieved 11 September 2021.
  75. ^ "Ten Stories the world should know more about, 2007". United Nations. Archived from the original on 18 January 2017. Retrieved 28 June 2017.
  76. ^ "International Security Assistance Force (ISAF): Key Facts and Figures" (PDF). nato.int. 4 March 2011. Archived (PDF) from the original on 12 October 2017. Retrieved 19 July 2017.
  77. ^ Brunnstrom, David; Ryan, Missy (21 May 2012). "NATO to endorse Afghan exit plan, seeks routes out". Reuters. Archived from the original on 27 March 2019. Retrieved 12 March 2019.
  78. ^ DeYoung, Karen (27 May 2014). "Obama to leave 9,800 US troops in Afghanistan". The Washington Post. Archived from the original on 28 May 2014. Retrieved 29 May 2014.
  79. ^ "Afghan Taliban Cool To Ghani Peace Offer While UN, 20 Countries Support It". RadioFreeEurope/RadioLiberty. Archived from the original on 11 September 2021. Retrieved 2 October 2021.
  80. ^ Miller, Zeke; Madhani, Aamer (8 July 2021). "'Overdue': Biden sets Aug. 31 for US exit from Afghanistan". AP NEWS. Archived from the original on 8 July 2021. Retrieved 9 July 2021.
  81. ^ Dadouch, Sarah; George, Susannah; Lamothe, Dan (29 February 2020). "U.S. signs peace deal with Taliban agreeing to full withdrawal of American troops from Afghanistan". Washington Post. Archived from the original on 1 March 2020. Retrieved 1 March 2020.
  82. ^ Schuknecht, Cat (1 March 2020). "Afghan President Rejects Timeline For Prisoner Swap Proposed In US-Taliban Peace Deal". NPR. Archived from the original on 11 April 2020. Retrieved 1 March 2020.
  83. ^ "Afghan President Ghani relinquishes power, Taliban form interim gov't". Daily Sabah. 30 August 2021. Archived from the original on 3 September 2021. Retrieved 15 August 2021.
  84. ^ "Remarks by President Biden on Afghanistan". The White House. 16 August 2021. Archived from the original on 17 August 2021. Retrieved 18 August 2021.
  85. ^ Gibbons-Neff, Thomas; Katzenberg, Lauren (30 August 2021). "The U.S. military finishes its evacuation, and an era ends in Afghanistan". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Archived from the original on 17 September 2021. Retrieved 30 August 2021.
  86. ^ "Human and Budgetary Costs to Date of the U.S. War in Afghanistan, 2001–2022 | Figures | Costs of War". The Costs of War. Archived from the original on 6 September 2021. Retrieved 1 September 2021.
  87. ^ Afghan Refugees, Costs of War, "Afghan Refugees | Costs of War". Archived from the original on 10 March 2013. Retrieved 30 May 2013., 2012
  88. ^ "In numbers: Life in Afghanistan after America leaves". BBC News. 13 July 2021. Archived from the original on 23 August 2021. Retrieved 15 July 2021.
  89. ^ *"US War in Afghanistan: 1999–2021". Council on Foreign Relations. 2021. Archived from the original on 27 February 2019.
  90. ^ David P. Auerswald; Stephen M. Saideman (5 January 2014). NATO in Afghanistan: Fighting Together, Fighting Alone. Princeton University Press. pp. 87–88. ISBN 978-1-4008-4867-6. Archived from the original on 25 January 2016. Retrieved 31 October 2015.


Cite error: There are <ref group=lower-alpha> tags or {{efn}} templates on this page, but the references will not show without a {{reflist|group=lower-alpha}} template or {{notelist}} template (see the help page).

This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is available under Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 4.0 unless otherwise noted. Additional terms may apply for the media files.