War in Afghanistan (2001–2021) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids War in Afghanistan (2001–2021) |
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| Part of the Global War on Terrorism and the Afghanistan conflict (1978–present) | |||||||||
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Clockwise from top-left: American troops in a firefight with Taliban insurgents in Kunar Province; An American F-15S 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 |
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| Belligerents | |||||||||
Invasion (2001): Northern Alliance United States United Kingdom Canada Germany Australia Italy New Zealand
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Invasion (2001): Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan Al-Qaeda 055 Brigade
Supported by:
Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan Tehreek-e-Nafaz-e-Shariat-e-Mohammadi East Turkestan Islamic Movement |
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ISAF/RS phase (2001–2021): Islamic State of Afghanistan (2001–2002) Afghan Transitional Authority (2002–2004) Islamic Republic of Afghanistan (2004–2021)
 ISAF (2001–2015) United States United Kingdom Canada Germany Australia Italy New Zealand France Turkey Georgia Jordan Bulgaria Poland Romania Spain Czech Republic Macedonia Denmark Armenia Azerbaijan Finland Croatia Hungary Norway Lithuania Mongolia United Arab Emirates Belgium Portugal Slovakia Netherlands Montenegro Latvia Sweden Albania Ukraine Bosnia–Herzegovina Greece Ireland Iceland Estonia Austria Malaysia Slovenia Colombia Switzerland Bahrain El Salvador Luxembourg South Korea Resolute Support (2015–2021; 36 countries) High Council of the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan (allegedly; from 2015)Khost Protection Force and other pro-government paramilitaries |
ISAF/RS phase (2001–2021): Taliban
Al-Qaeda
Supported by:
 Hezb-e-Islami Gulbuddin(on and off until 2016) Islamic Jihad Union(from 2002) Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan (until 2015) Turkistan Islamic Party Lashkar-e-Jhangvi Pakistani Taliban Lashkar-e-Islam Iran (alleged, but denied by Iran) Pakistan (alleged, but denied by Pakistan) Russia (alleged, but denied by Russia) Saudi Arabia (alleged, but denied by Saudi Arabia) Qatar (alleged by Saudi Arabia, but denied by Qatar) China (alleged by the US, but denied by China) Taliban splinter groups
RS phase (2015–2021):  ISIL–KP (from 2015)
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| Commanders and leaders | |||||||||
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List
 Hamid Karzai Ashraf Ghani George W. Bush Barack Obama Donald Trump Joe Biden Tony Blair Gordon Brown David Cameron Theresa May Boris Johnson Jean Chrétien Paul Martin Stephen Harper Justin Trudeau Gerhard Schröder Angela Merkel John Howard Kevin Rudd Julia Gillard Tony Abbott Malcolm Turnbull Scott Morrison Silvio Berlusconi Romano Prodi Mario Monti Enrico Letta Matteo Renzi Paolo Gentiloni Giuseppe Conte Mario Draghi Helen Clark John Key Bill English Jacinda Ardern
Kenneth F. McKenzie Jr. John F. Campbell List of former ISAF Commanders List of former RS Commanders Nangialai † Abdul Manan Niazi † |
List
Mullah Omar # Akhtar Mansour † Hibatullah Akhundzada Obaidullah Akhund † Jalaluddin Haqqani # Sirajuddin Haqqani Mullah Yaqoob Abdul Ghani Baradar Gulbuddin Hekmatyar Osama bin Laden † Ayman al-Zawahiri Asim Umar †
Muhammad Rasul Haji Najibullah
Shahab al-Muhajir Hafiz Saeed Khan † Mawlavi Habib Ur Rahman Abdul Haseeb Logari † Abdul Rahman Ghaleb † Abu Saad Erhabi † Abdullah Orokzai (POW) Qari Hekmat † Mufti Nemat  Dawood Ahmad Sofi † Mohamed Zahran † Ishfaq Ahmed Sofi † |
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| Strength | |||||||||
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ISIL–KP: 3,500–4,000 (2018, in Afghanistan) |
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| Casualties and losses | |||||||||
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Afghan security forces: Coalition:
Wounded: 23,536
Contractors |
Taliban insurgents: ISIL–KP: 2,400+ killed |
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Civilians killed: 46,319 Total killed: 176,206 (per Brown University) |
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a The continued list includes nations who have contributed fewer than 200 troops as of November 2014. b The continued list includes nations who have contributed fewer than 200 troops as of May 2017. |
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The War in Afghanistan was a war fought by the United States, the United Kingdom, Canada, The Netherlands, Australia and other countries against the Taliban and Al-Qaeda, after the terrorist attacks against the US on September 11, 2001.
On 31 August 2021 (local time), the war ended as the last coalition soldiers (from foreign countries), left Afghanistan.
Contents
History
The war started when the US invaded Afghanistan in 2001. The US and its allies forced the Taliban and Al-Qaeda to hide. In December 2001, the US and its allies founded a new government for Afghanistan. Its president was Hamid Karzai.
By February 2002, 5,000.00 soldiers from ISAF (or International Security Assistance Force) were in Afghanistan. That military force was led by United States. ISAF's soldiers were on loan from the militaries of NATO countries and allied countries. In 2012 ISAF was at its maximum: 130,000 soldiers (in Afghanistan).
In 2004 Hamid Karzai started as the first president of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan. Even though the Taliban had lost power, they formed a "shadow government". Taliban insurgents, or fighters, controlled many parts of Afghanistan, and enforced their own laws.
Osama bin Laden was killed in Pakistan, May 2011.
British troops left Afghanistan in 2015, after 5 years of training the Afghanistan police to deal with threats from the Taliban.
After security deteriorated, American soldiers returned and over 10,000 were in the country at the end of 2017. In 2020, the US and NATO allies promised to leave Afghanistan as long as the Taliban agreed to certain things: not allowing terrorists to operate in its area, and starting peace talks with the Afghanistan government. In mid-2021, the Taliban began a military offensive to enlarge their territory as US and allied forces began to leave. By August 15, 2021, the Taliban had recaptured Kabul and defeated the Afghan government.
An anti-Taliban front took control of the Panjshir Valley, in August 2021.
During the 2021 evacuation from Afghanistan, over 150,000 people chose to to be taken out of Afghanistan; They were diplomats, other civilian staff, other civilians, and military staff.
The last military airplanes of the United States, left the airport in Kabul, one minute before 31 August 2021.
On 31 August 2021 (local time), the war ended.
Deaths and injuries
More than 15,000 Coalition soldiers were wounded: 6,773 US, 3,954 UK, 1,500 Canadian and over 2,500 other Coalition soldiers. 5,500 Afghan army soldiers and 200 Northern Alliance militants were killed in this war. 378 US civilian contractors were killed and 7,224.
Aftermath
An anti-Taliban front has control of the Panjshir Valley, as of 2021's third quarter.
Gallery
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Taliban fighters in 2021.
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ISAF soldiers on loan from the Romanian Land Forces between Kandahar and Kabul in 2003
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A soldier of the Afghan National Army in Kandahar Province in 2008
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ISAF soldiers on loan from the Czech Republic's army in Logar Province in 2009
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ISAF soldiers on loan from Germany's Bundeswehr near Mazar-i-Sharif in 2009
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A howitzer of the Royal Netherlands Army in 2009
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A helicopter of Britain's Royal Air Force in Helmand Province in 2015
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Aeroplanes of the Afghan Air Force above Kabul in 2016
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See also
In Spanish: Guerra de Afganistán (2001-2021) para niños
 | James B. Knighten |
 | Azellia White |
 | Willa Brown |
