2021 Taliban offensive | |||||||
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Part of the War in Afghanistan and the Taliban insurgency | |||||||
![]() A map of Afghanistan showing the Taliban offensive (7 Aug 2021) | |||||||
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Belligerents | |||||||
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Commanders and leaders | |||||||
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Units involved | |||||||
Taliban forces Other militant groups
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Afghan security forces Pro-government militias[10][17][18]
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Casualties and losses | |||||||
Equipment:
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Equipment:
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1,031 civilians killed[28][23] 1,609 civilians injured[28] |
Timeline
Airstrikes
Major insurgent attacks 2002–2007
2008
2009
2010
2011
2012
2013
2014
2015
2016
2017
2018
2019 Massacres
Other
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A current military offensive by the Taliban and allied military groups, including al-Qaeda,[3] against Afghanistan and its allies began on 1 May 2021.[29] It happened around the same time as the withdrawal of most U.S. troops from Afghanistan.
The offensive is known for the quick territorial gains of the Taliban, as well as its domestic and international problems.[30]
By 15 July, over a third of Afghanistan's 421 districts were controlled by the Taliban,[31][32] and by 21 July, half of Afghanistan was under Taliban control.
On 22 July, the British Foreign Office's reports said that the Afghan military could fall apart and the Taliban could soon return to power in Kabul as a result of of NATO soldiers' withdrawal.[33] The Foreign Office's report said that the British embassy in Kabul might need to close.[33] The British Foreign Secretary, Dominic Raab, believed that Kabul would be safe for the whole of 2021.[33]
On 10 August, U.S. officials said that the Afghan capital, Kabul, could fall to the Taliban within 30 to 90 days. On 15 August, the Associated Press reported that the Taliban had reached and captured Kabul. This caused the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan's government to fall. The Taliban said that they were awaiting a "transfer" of power.[34] On 15 August, following the near seizure of the capital, the Taliban occupied the Presidential Palace after the incumbent President Ashraf Ghani fled the country.[35]
During the recent fighting in eastern and southern districts of Afghanistan, the Afghan Taliban has been supported by the TTP insurgents [...] According to a UN monitoring report in June, some 5,000 TTP militants are currently based in Afghanistan.
America has been launching airstrikes in support of Afghan forces, using armed Reaper drones that take up to eight hours to reach a target from their base in the Gulf as well as fighter aircraft from Qatar and the United Arab Emirates, and from the carrier USS Ronald Reagan,
In response to the Taliban offensives, hundreds of Afghan troops have surrendered, giving up their U.S.-supplied equipment and fleeing, sometimes into neighboring countries. Afghan government counterattacks have had limited success."America leaves Afghanistan on the brink of collapse". The Economist. 8 July 2021. Archived from the original on 10 July 2021. Retrieved 11 July 2021.
Many districts are being taken not by force, but are simply handed over. Soldiers and policemen have surrendered in droves, leaving piles of American-purchased arms and ammunition and fleets of vehicles.Zucchino, David; Rahim, Najim (27 May 2021). "A Wave of Afghan Surrenders to the Taliban Picks Up Speed". New York Times. Archived from the original on 11 July 2021. Retrieved 11 July 2021.