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2021 Taliban offensive

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"Taliban offensive" redirects here. For previous military campaigns against mujahideen factions in the 1990s, see Taliban's rise to power. For other conflicts involving the Taliban, see Afghanistan conflict (1978–present).

2021 Taliban offensive
Part of the War in Afghanistan and the Taliban insurgency

A map of Afghanistan showing the Taliban offensive (9 Aug 2021)
Date1 May 2021 – present
(3 years, 6 months, 2 weeks and 1 day)
Location
Afghanistan
Status Ongoing
Territorial
changes		 Taliban captures 153 districts increasing the number of districts it controls in Afghanistan to 229[7][8]
Belligerents

Afghanistan Taliban

Al-Qaeda[3]
Supported by:
Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP)[3][4]
Lashkar-e-Taiba[3]
Jaish-e-Mohammed[3]
Harkat-ul-Mujahideen[3]		  Afghanistan
 United States[5][6]
Commanders and leaders
Afghanistan Hibatullah Akhundzada
Afghanistan Abdul Ghani Baradar
Afghanistan Sirajuddin Haqqani[1]
Afghanistan Mohammad Yaqoob		 Afghanistan Ashraf Ghani
Afghanistan Abdullah Abdullah
Afghanistan Bismillah Khan Mohammadi[9]
Afghanistan Ahmad Massoud[10]
United States Joe Biden
United States Gen. Mark Milley
United States Gen. Kenneth McKenzie[11]
Units involved

Taliban forces

Other militant groups

Afghan security forces

Pro-government militias[10][17][18]

  • Public Uprising Forces[19]

United States Air Force[20] United States Navy

Casualties and losses

Afghanistan Taliban
9,819 killed[22]
5,472 wounded[22]
54 captured[22]
(Afghan government claim)

Equipment:
  • Unknown number of artillery gun and military vehicles destroyed[11]

Afghanistan Afghanistan
1,537 killed[23]
972 wounded[23]
677 captured[23]
1,581+ deserted[24]
Hundreds of troops surrendered[25]

Equipment:
1,031 civilians killed[29][23]
2,043 civilians injured[29][23]

An ongoing military offensive by the Taliban and allied militant groups, including al-Qaeda,[3] against the government of Afghanistan and its allies began on 1 May 2021,[30][7] simultaneous with the withdrawal of most U.S. troops from Afghanistan.[31] As of 15 July, over a third of Afghanistan's 421 districts were controlled by the Taliban,[32][33] and by 21 July, half of Afghanistan was under Taliban control.[34] On 6–9 August, the Taliban captured six provincial capitals including Kunduz.[35][36]

Background

On September 2020, over 5,000 Taliban prisoners, including 400 of whom were accused and convicted of major crimes such as murder were released by the Afghan government as a part of the peace agreement between the U.S. and the Taliban.[37] According to Afghanistan's National Security Council, many of the released prisoners who were "experts" returned to the battlefield and strengthened the Taliban's hand.[38]

During the Afghan Civil War (1996–2001), resistance to the Taliban was strongest in northern Afghanistan, the base of the Northern Alliance. According to the Afghanistan Analysts Network, the Taliban's concentration of its forces in the north may be an attempt to forestall the creation of a second Northern Alliance after the withdrawal of U.S. forces.[39]

Timeline

May

In May, the Taliban captured 15 districts from the Afghan government, including Nirkh and Jalrez districts in Maidan Wardak Province.[40][41] Among the locations captured was the Dahla Dam in Kandahar Province, Afghanistan's second largest dam.[42] During the month, 405 Afghan National Security Forces and 260 civilians were killed during the clashes with the Taliban, while the Afghan Ministry of Defense claimed killing 2,146 Taliban fighters.[23][22]

By the end of May, Portugal, Slovenia, Spain, and Sweden had completely withdrawn their forces from Afghanistan.[43]

June

In June, the Taliban captured 69 districts from the Afghan government and entered the cities of Kunduz and Puli Khumri.[40][44][31] The city of Mazar-i-Sharif was besieged by Taliban.[45] Among the locations captured by Taliban was Afghanistan's main border crossing with Tajikistan and the Saydabad District in Maidan Wardak Province, which is called the gateway to Afghanistan's capital city Kabul.[46][47] In terms of equipment, the Taliban captured 700 trucks and Humvees from the Afghan security forces, as well as dozens of armored vehicles and artillery systems.[27]

An Afghan Air Force Mil Mi-17 was shot down by the Taliban, killing three pilots, while a UH-60 Black Hawk was damaged on the ground after an outpost belonging to the Afghan Armed Forces was shelled by the Taliban in the same month.[16][26] On 16 June, Taliban militants executed 22 surrendering Afghan Army commandoes in the town of Dawlat Abad.[48] During the month, 703 Afghan National Security Forces and 208 civilians were killed during the clashes with the Taliban, while the Afghan Ministry of Defense claimed killing 1,535 Taliban fighters.[23][22] On 19 June, Afghan National Army chief of staff, defense and interior ministers were replaced by President Ashraf Ghani.[49] By the end of June, all Resolute Support Mission's member countries had withdrawn their troops, except for the U.K., Turkey, and the U.S.[citation needed]

U.S. Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin meeting with Afghan President Ashraf Ghani in June 2021

On 22 June, the Taliban captured Shir Khan Bandar, Afghanistan's main Tajikistan border crossing.[50] 13 districts fell to the Taliban within 24 hours.[51] On the same day, heavy fighting was also occurring in Baghlan Province after Afghan forces launched a military operation on the outskirts of Pul-e-Khumri, the provincial capital, killing 17 Taliban militants including Qari Khalid, a Taliban divisional commander.[52] Simultaneously, Taliban forces took control of Balkh and encircled Mazar-i-Sharif, the capital of Balkh Province.[53][54] On 23 June, the Taliban and Afghan forces clashed inside Pul-e Khumri.[55]

On 25 June, the Taliban took control of the Shinwari District and the Ghorband District in Parwan province north of Kabul.[56] That same day NBC News reported that the Taliban "were surprised at the speed of their advance and had avoided capturing some targets so as not to run afoul of the U.S.",[57] and the Afghan government launched a program called National Mobilization that aimed to arm militia groups to fight the Taliban.[58] Meanwhile, Taliban deputy emir Sirajuddin Haqqani issued a series of instructions on Voice of Jihad for the governance of territories seized in the offensive. FDD's Long War Journal researcher Thomas Joscelyn argued that Haqqani's statements "read like those that would be issued by the head of a nation".[1]

On 27 June, Chaki Wardak District and Saydabad District fell to the Taliban after at least 50 Afghan troops surrendered and were captured by the Taliban. On the same day Rustaq District, Shortepa District and the Arghistan District fell to the Taliban. ToloNews reported that 108 districts fell to the Taliban in the last two months and the Afghan army had only managed to re-take 10.[59][60] On 29 June, the Taliban launched an offensive on Ghazni, causing violent clashes within the city.[61]

July

Afghan pro-government forces assemble in Jowzjan Province during 2021 Taliban offensive.

In July, the Taliban captured 64 districts from the Afghan government and entered the second and third largest cities of Afghanistan, Kandahar and Herat respectively.[7][62][63] During the month, 335 Afghan National Security Forces and 189 civilians were killed during the clashes with the Taliban, while the Afghan Ministry of Defense claimed killing 3,159 Taliban fighters.[23][22] Around 1,500 Afghan soldiers deserted into Tajikistan, according to its CSTO envoy.[24] Iranian media reported that around 300 Afghan soldiers and civilians had crossed the border and entered into Iran to escape the Taliban.[24]

On 2 July, Germany and Italy withdrew their troops from Afghanistan, and U.S. troops left Bagram Airfield, handing it to the Afghan Armed Forces.[64]

On the first weekend of July, hundreds of armed women took to the streets of northern and central Afghanistan in demonstrations against the Taliban offensive, the largest one taking place in Firozkoh, the capital of Ghor Province. The provincial governor Abdulzahir Faizzada reported in an interview with The Guardian that many Afghan women, some of whom recently escaped the Taliban, have been learning to use firearms in order to defend themselves, with some already having battled the Taliban themselves. Taliban spokesperson Zabiullah Mujahid denounced the reports as "propaganda" and declared that "women will never pick up guns against us."[65] During the weekend, the Taliban captured nine border posts belonging to the Afghan Army in Kunar Province near the border with Pakistan, during which 39 personnel of the Afghan Army surrendered to the Taliban while another 31 fled to Pakistan.[24]

On 5 July, Tajik President Emomali Rahmon announced the deployment of 20,000 troops on the Afghanistan-Tajikistan border, in order to avoid a spillover of the Afghan war into Tajikistan. On 9 July, Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO) announced that the Russian Federation would deploy 7,000 troops on the border as well to aid Tajikistan.[66][67] On 7 July, pro-government forces defeated a Taliban attempt to capture the city of Qala e Naw.[13] On 8 July, the Taliban captured the strategically important Karakh District in Herat Province.[63]

Taliban militants rest at a village during the offensive.

On 10 July, the Taliban captured Panjwayi District in Kandahar Province.[68] The Taliban also surrounded the city of Ghazni in central Afghanistan.[69] The border crossings of Torghundi with Tajikistan and Islam Qala with Iran were captured by the Taliban. During the capture of the Islam Qala border crossing, some Afghan security and customs officials fled across the border with Iran to escape the Taliban.[70][71] On 11 July, Australian Defense Minister Peter Dutton announced the end of its military presence in Afghanistan, with the last 80 personnel having left the country in the past weeks.[72] On 12 July, the commander of U.S. and NATO forces in Afghanistan Austin S. Miller stepped down from his post.[73] As of 12 July, the Taliban has seized 148 districts from the Afghan government.[7] On 14 July, the Afghan border post at Spin Boldak was captured by the Taliban force;[74] Reuters Indian journalist Danish Siddiqui was killed there while covering the fighting two days later.[75]

On 12 July, Turkmen President Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedow ordered the deployment of troops and heavy weapons and armour on the Afghanistan-Turkmenistan border, in order to avoid a spillover of the Afghan conflict into Turkmenistan.[76] On 16 July, Uzbekistan hosted a conference between a number of the region's leaders and foreign diplomats, including Afghan President Ashraf Ghani, in order to promote peace and prevent a civil war.[77]

Armed locals protest in support of the Afghan government in Jowzjan Province during the offensive.

On 21 July, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Mark Milley reported that half of all Afghan districts were under Taliban control and that momentum was "sort of" on the side with the Taliban.[34] On 22 July, the Pentagon confirmed that the United States Air Force had carried out four airstrikes in Afghanistan at the request of Afghan officials. Two airstrikes aimed at destroying military equipment captured by the Talibans from Afghan security forces; one artillery gun and one military vehicle were destroyed.[20] Meanwhile, the battle for Kandahar city continued, with the settlement being essentially besieged by the rebels. All surrounding districts save for Daman District had fallen under Taliban control, and only Kandahar's air field (crucial for supplying the local security forces) remained under full government control. According to the FDD's Long War Journal, the potential fall of Daman District to the insurgents would make it extremely difficult for the government forces to hold onto Kandahar city.[78] On 22 July, 100 people were killed in a mass shooting in Spin Boldak, Kandahar Province.[79] However, pro-government forces also scored victories in Bamyan Province, as local militias and the police retook the districts of Saighan and Kahmard from the Taliban,[80] and in Herat Province, where the government recaptured Karakh District.[63]

On 24 July, the government imposed a curfew between 10 p.m. and 4 a.m. in all but three provinces of the country in order to "curb violence and reduce the movements and advances of the Taliban".[81][82]

On 26 July, a report by representative of the United Nations Deborah Lyons showed a sharp increase in civilian deaths as a consequence of the fighting between the government and the Taliban. Lyons implored both sides to protect civilians as she says that women and children are being killed.[83] The same day around 46 Afghan troops, including 5 officers, sought refuge in Pakistan after they were unable to defend their military post.[24]

On 28 July, a delegation from the Taliban met in Tianjin with the Chinese foreign minister Wang Yi, who pledged the People's Republic of China's support for the Taliban on the condition that they cut ties with the East Turkestan Islamic Movement,[84][85][86] vowing to "bring the Taliban back into the political mainstream" and offering to host peace talks between the Government of Afghanistan and the Taliban.[87]

By 31 July, the Taliban had entered the provincial capitals of both Helmand and Herat provinces, capturing scores of districts in said provinces and capturing border crossings with Iran and Turkmenistan.[88][89] Among others, Herat's important Karakh District was again overrun by the rebels. The insurgents also cut the road between Herat International Airport and Herat city, although the airport remained under government control. The Long War Journal argued that the government's ability to keep control of Herat city without the airport supplying the defenders was questionable. Meanwhile, Kandahar city remained contested.[63]

August

Afghan National Army soldiers in combat with the Taliban during the offensive

From 1 to 2 August, the Safian, Qala-e-Kohneh and Kariz areas on the outskirts of Lashkar Gah fell to the Taliban. Clashes between Taliban and the government also took place in the suburbs of the city, with the Afghan Air Force and United States Air Force attacking Taliban positions. On 3 August, 40 civilians were killed and more than 100 wounded in the fighting.[90] After capturing Lashkar Gah's radio station, the Taliban began broadcasting their Voice of Sharia programming. The rebels also began to attack the city's airport. Meanwhile, the government dispatched reinforcements to prevent the city from falling to the insurgents.[91]

On 3 August, 13 people - including five attackers - were killed in a Taliban bombing and shootout in Kabul.[92] The inghimasi-style operation, carried out by the Taliban's "Martyrdom Battalion", aimed at killing Defence Minister Bismillah Khan Mohammadi; he survived the attack. Mohammadi was described by the Long War Journal as one of the key government figures responsible for countering the Taliban offensive.[9]

As of 5 August, 115 Afghan National Security Forces and 58 civilians were killed during the clashes with the Taliban, while the Afghan Ministry of Defense claimed killing 3,197 Taliban fighters since the start of the month.[23][22]

On 6 August, the Taliban assassinated Dawa Khan Minapal, head of Government Media and Information Centre, in Kabul. On the same day, heavy fighting was reported in Jowzjan Province as the Taliban entered the provincial capital, Sheberghan. The Taliban confirmed responsibility for the killing of Minapal and warned that it would target senior administration officials in retaliation for increasing airstrikes.[93] On the same day, the Taliban captured the provincial capital of Nimroz Province, Zaranj, making it the first capture by the Taliban of a provincial capital since the 2001 American invasion.[94] The rebels proceeded to open the local prisons, allowing many inmates to escape. As Zaranj had reportedly been captured with almost no resistance, Afghan journalist Bilal Sarwary voiced suspicions that someone had "sold" the city to the Taliban.[95] A UN envoy also warned the country was entering a 'deadlier phase' of the war.[96] The governments of Britain and United States warned its citizens to leave Afghanistan "immediately" amid the Taliban advance and the worsening security situation.[97][98]

On 7 August, the Taliban had captured Sheberghan, making it the second capture of a provincial capital.[99] Abdul Rashid Dostum, the ex-warlord and the strongman who had traditionally dominated the city, took his followers and fled to Khwaja Du Koh District, the only area in Jowzjan Province which was still government-held. Meanwhile, pro-government forces had been reduced to a pocket of resistance in Lashkar Gah, while Kandahar and Herat remained fiercely contested. Insurgents also launched repeated raids on the other provincial capitals.[100] On the same day, U.S. B-52 bombers carried out airstrikes against Taliban in Afghanistan, operating from Al Udeid Air Base in Qatar.[101] The United States was also using armed Reaper drones and AC-130 Spectre gunships which reportedly began daily attacks against targets around Kandahar, Herat, and Lashkar Gah.[101] USS Ronald Reagan was launching fast jets to provide support to the missions.[102]

The following day, the Taliban captured the cities of Kunduz and Sar-e Pol after heavy clashes with the Afghan National Security Forces. In the battles for the two cities, mass desertions were reported, as many Afghan National Army soldiers had been demotivated by the rapid rebel advance as well as Taliban propaganda. Pro-government forces were only able to hold onto Kunduz's military base and airport.[103][104] Reporters described the capture of Kunduz as "the most significant gain for the Taliban since they launched their offensive in May" with the city being one of Afghanistan's largest settlements, well connected to other notable locations in the country including Kabul and considered part of a major Central Asian drug smuggling route.[105] The city of Taloqan was also taken by the Taliban late 8 August, making it the fifth provincial capital to fall.[35] Government forces retreated from the city after noon,[106] retaking Warsaj District and Farkhar District.[107]

On 9 August, the Taliban captured Aybak, the capital of Samangan province.[36]

Reactions

Domestic

  • Afghanistan: The Afghan government has vowed to retake all districts seized by the Taliban.[108] Afghan politician and former mujahideen Ismail Khan declared the formation of People's Resistance Movement of Western Afghanistan to fight the Taliban in Herat Province.[109] On 2 August 2021, President Ghani blamed the advance of the Taliban on the sudden withdrawal of U.S. troops and said the former had not cut ties with terrorist organizations and had escalated attacks against women, which the Taliban denied.[110]
  • Taliban: On 9 July, Taliban negotiator Shahabuddin Delawar said in Moscow that the group "was in control of 85% of the territory of Afghanistan", and pointed out that it "was not part of the agreement" with the U.S. not to attack Afghan administrative centers.[108]

International

U.S. President Joe Biden meeting with Afghan President Ashraf Ghani and Chairman Abdullah Abdullah, 25 June 2021
  •  China: Foreign Affairs Minister Wang Yi criticized the speed and timing of withdrawal of the American-led NATO forces and urged them to withdraw in a "responsible and orderly manner".[111]
  •  India: Foreign Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar said that India would consult all important parts in the conflict, including China, and that India was pushing for "conciliation in Afghanistan."[112]
  •  Iran: Influential Shia cleric, lawmaker, and politician Mojtaba Zonnour said that the Taliban is "an undeniable part of the reality in Afghanistan", and that it should not be equated to Islamist terrorist groups such as ISIL or al-Qaeda.[113]
  •  Kazakhstan: Kazakh representatives participated in a Shanghai Cooperation Organization summit along with Russian and Chinese authorities to discuss a possible influx of Afghan refugees.[114]
  •  Kyrgyzstan: Representatives from the country participated in a Shanghai Cooperation Organization summit along with Russian and Chinese authorities to discuss a possible influx of Afghan refugees.[114]
  •  Pakistan: Keeping in view the advancements of Taliban, DG ISPR issued a statement that "Pakistan should be seen as facilitator, not guarantor in Afghan peace process."[115]
  •  Russia: Russian authorities said they were working with the Tajik government to protect it from any foreign threat under the Collective Security Treaty Organization.[116]
    Russian special representative on Afghanistan, Zamir Kabulov, said that the Afghan government only paid lip service to the idea of talks and they were not doing enough to make them happen. He also said that Russia and other regional powers favoured a transitional government in Afghanistan.[117] Taliban representatives visited Moscow in July.[118] Russia's Foreign Ministry called the Taliban "of sound mind".[119]
  •  Tajikistan: President Emomali Rahmon ordered 20,000 reserve servicemen of the country's Ground Forces to be sent to the Afghan–Tajik border.[120]
  •  Turkey: The country offered to order its troops to protect Hamid Karzai International Airport in Kabul.[121]
  •  Turkmenistan: Turkmen military forces were assigned to the Afghan–Turkmen border due to security concerns.[122]
  •  United Kingdom: UK defence minister, Ben Wallace, said UK will be ready to work with the Taliban should they come into power provided that they adhere to certain international norms. However, Wallace warned that UK will review any relationship if Taliban were found violating human rights in Afghanistan.[123]
  •  United States: President Joe Biden defended the withdrawal of U.S. troops, saying that the country had not gone to Afghanistan to "nation build."[124] Biden added that he would not "send another generation of Americans to fight there" and pointed to other failed attempts at unifying Afghanistan in the past. He also reassured that the U.S. safety was not at risk with any outcome of the infighting in Afghanistan.[125][126]
  •  Uzbekistan: The government raised concerns of a possible migratory crisis due to the infighting in Afghanistan and reported that U.S. authorities had contacted Uzbek officials to confirm if Uzbekistan could safeguard Afghans who collaborated with the U.S., fleeing from the country. In response, the Uzbek government erected a tent city for migrants in the city of Termez.[127]

See also

References

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