✦ History

War in Afghanistan (2001–2021)

October 7, 2001 – August 30, 2021

Armed conflict in Afghanistan, 2001-2021, the longest war in US military history. A US-led coalition invaded after the September 11 attacks by Taliban-allied al-Qaeda and toppled the Taliban; the Taliban regrouped and, after the 2020 US-Taliban deal and US withdrawal, retook Kabul on 15 August 2021, last aircraft departing 30 August. An estimated 176,000-212,000 died, including 46,319 civilians.

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Battles and events 60

October 7, 2001 – December 28, 2014
Operation Enduring Freedom Islamic Republic of Afghanistan George W. Bush, Barack Obama, Mohammed Omar
October 7 – December 17, 2001
United States invasion of Afghanistan American-led coalition victory Afghanistan George W. Bush, Jacques Chirac, Tony Blair
October 7 – November 12, 2001
2001 uprising in Herat Herat
October 7, 2001 – December 2001
Operation Crescent Wind US–UK victory Mohammed Omar, Tommy Franks
October 7, 2001
Bombing of Kandahar (2001) Successful American airstrikes in the city, Taliban strengthening position within city. Mohammed Omar
October 19–20, 2001
Operation Rhino U.S. victory Kandahar Mohammed Omar, Tommy Franks
November 9–10, 2001
Fall of Mazar-i-Sharif Northern Alliance and American victory Mazar-i-Sharif Atiqullah Baryalai, Abdul Rashid Dostum, Sufi Muhammad
November 11–23, 2001
Siege of Kunduz Northern Alliance and US victory Kunduz Abdul Rashid Dostum, Tommy Franks
November 12–13, 2001
Fall of Kabul (2001) Northern Alliance and American victory Kabul Mohammed Omar, Osama bin Laden, Mohammed Atef
November 25 – December 1, 2001
Battle of Qala-i-Jangi Coalition victory Qala-i-Jangi Abdul Rashid Dostum, Mark E. Mitchell
December 6–17, 2001
Battle of Tora Bora Partial coalition victory Pachir Aw Agam Osama bin Laden, Ayman al-Zawahiri, Abdul Latif Nasir
December 7, 2001
Fall of Kandahar Coalition victory Kandahar Mohammed Omar, Hamid Karzai, Akhtar Mansour
December 17, 2001 – August 15, 2021
Taliban insurgency
March 1–18, 2002
Operation Anaconda Coalition victory Shah-i-Kot Valley
June 27, 2005 – July 2005
Operation Red Wings Taliban victory Korangal Valley Erik S. Kristensen, Michael P. Murphy, Ahmad Shah
March 29, 2006
Friendly fire incident at Sangin Helmand Province
May 15 – July 31, 2006
Operation Mountain Thrust Taliban victory Kandahar · Helmand Province · Uruzgan Province
June 4, 2006
Helmand province campaign Both sides claim victory Helmand Province John A. Toolan
June 27, 2006 – April 5, 2007
Siege of Sangin Coalition victory Helmand Province
July 2006
Operation Perth Coalition victory
September 2006
Operation Medusa Zherai District
September 16, 2006
Operation Mountain Fury Coalition victory
May 24–25, 2007
Operation Hoover Coalition victory
May 30, 2007
Operation Achilles Coalition claims victory Helmand Province Dan K. McNeill, Jacko Page
May 30 – June 14, 2007
Operation Pickaxe-Handle Tactical Coalition victory Strategic outcome unclear Helmand Province
June 15–19, 2007
Battle of Chora Coalition victory Uruzgan Province
July 24–27, 2007
Operation Hammer (Afghanistan) Coalition strategic victory (Coalition forces took control of territory south of the Helmand river.)
October 2007 – November 2007
Operation Harekate Yolo Tactical Coalition victory Northwest Afghanistan
December 7–12, 2007
Battle of Musa Qala Coalition Victory Musa Qala
2008
Operation Karez
2008
Sarposa prison attack of 2008 Taliban victory (1,200+ prisoners freed) . Kandahar
June 10, 2008 – July 4, 2012
Pakistan–United States skirmishes George W. Bush, Barack Obama, Asif Ali Zardari
June 18–19, 2008
Battle of Arghandab (2008) Coalition victory Arghandab District
July 13, 2008
Battle of Wanat Initial American victory; later withdrawal See Aftermath Nuristan Province
August 8, 2008
Battle of Shewan US victory Farah Province
August 18–19, 2008
Uzbin Valley ambush Surobi
August 27 – September 5, 2008
Operation Eagle's Summit Coalition tactical victory.
December 11–26, 2008
Operation Red Dagger Coalition victory
February 6–7, 2009
Operation Diesel Coalition victory Sangin
June 19, 2009
Operation Panther's Claw Coalition victory
July 2 – August 20, 2009
Operation Strike of the Sword Inconclusive Helmand Province Lawrence D. Nicholson, Abdul Qayyum Zakir
July 18, 2009
Operation Oqab Temporary forced displacement of the Taliban forces
August 12–15, 2009
Battle of Dahaneh Coalition victory Abdul Qayyum Zakir
September 4, 2009
2009 Kunduz airstrike
October 3, 2009
Battle of Kamdesh Kamdesh Randy George, Curtis Scaparrotti
December 12, 2009
Operation Cobra's Anger Coalition Victory
February 13 – December 7, 2010
Operation Moshtarak Tactically inconclusive Marjah Lawrence D. Nicholson, Stanley A. McChrystal, Abdul Qayyum Zakir
June 10–14, 2010
Shah Wali Kot Offensive Coalition victory Shah Wali Kot District
November 26, 2011
Salala incident Inconclusive Salala
December 2014
Counterinsurgency in Northern Afghanistan Gradual "Afghanization" of combat operations during drawdown of ISAF forces; de facto status quo ante bellum
December 28, 2014 – July 12, 2021
Resolute Support Mission Afghanistan
January 1, 2015 – August 30, 2021
War in Afghanistan (2015–2021) Afghanistan
April 24, 2015
Battle of Kunduz (2015) Afghan victory Kunduz Ashraf Ghani, Akhtar Mansour
January 27, 2018
Kabul ambulance bombing Kabul
August 10, 2018
Ghazni offensive Ashraf Ghani, Hibatullah Akhundzada
February 29, 2020
United States–Taliban deal Doha
February 29, 2020 – August 30, 2021
2020–2021 US troop withdrawal from Afghanistan Afghanistan
May 1, 2021
2021 Taliban offensive Taliban victory Afghanistan Joe Biden, Ashraf Ghani, Hibatullah Akhundzada
May 8, 2021
2021 Kabul school bombing Dashte Barchi
August 15, 2021
Fall of Kabul (2021) Kabul Joe Biden, Ashraf Ghani

Key commanders

Coalition 36

George W. Bush belligerent leader Barack Obama Donald Trump Joe Biden Martin Dempsey belligerent leader David Petraeus belligerent leader Tommy Franks military commander Jacques Chirac belligerent leader Tony Blair belligerent leader Gerhard Schröder belligerent leader Burhanuddin Rabbani belligerent leader John Howard belligerent leader Jean Chrétien belligerent leader Silvio Berlusconi belligerent leader Helen Clark belligerent leader Ahmet Necdet Sezer belligerent leader Donald Rumsfeld belligerent leader Abdul Rashid Dostum military commander Randy George military commander Curtis Scaparrotti military commander Ashraf Ghani belligerent leader Mark Milley military commander Atta Muhammad Nur military commander Bismillah Khan Mohammadi military commander Atiqullah Baryalai military commander Erik S. Kristensen military commander Michael P. Murphy military commander Muhammad Fahim military commander Lawrence D. Nicholson military commander Stanley A. McChrystal military commander Mark E. Mitchell military commander Dan K. McNeill military commander Jacko Page military commander Hazrat Ali military commander Hamid Karzai military commander John A. Toolan military commander

Islamic Republic of Afghanistan 1

Ashraf Ghani President of Afghanistan, Fled the country

Taliban 15

Mohammed Omar belligerent leader Osama bin Laden belligerent leader Riduan Isamuddin belligerent leader Ayman al-Zawahiri military commander Abu Musab al-Zarqawi belligerent leader Jalaluddin Haqqani belligerent leader Mohammed Atef military commander Jumma Xojiyev military commander Hibatullah Akhundzada belligerent leader Abdul Ghani Baradar military commander Abdul Qayyum Zakir military commander Sufi Muhammad military commander Ahmad Shah military commander Abdul Latif Nasir military commander Akhtar Mansour military commander

United States and allies 1

Tommy Franks military commander

Afghanistan 2

George W. Bush military commander Barack Obama belligerent leader

Pakistan 2

Asif Ali Zardari belligerent leader Yusuf Raza Gilani belligerent leader