Fall of Kabul (2021)

On 15 August 2021, the Taliban took over the city of Kabul, the capital of Afghanistan. This means that they won the war against the Afghan government. This happened because of a a military offensive that began in May 2021, which was the latest stage of their insurgency against the Afghan government.

Fall of Kabul
Part of the 2021 Taliban offensive of the War in Afghanistan (2001–2021)
Evacuees load on to buses to be processed during an evacuation at Hamid Karzai International Airport, Kabul, Afghanistan
Date 15 August 2021 (2021-08-15) Location Kabul, Afghanistan 34°18′47″N 69°06′15″E / 34.3131°N 69.1042°E / 34.3131; 69.1042 (Kabul, Afghanistan) Result Taliban victory Collapse of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan End of the War in Afghanistan (2001–2021)[2] Government officials flee Afghanistan, including President Ashraf Ghani[3] Re-establishment of the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan[4][5] Hibatullah Akhundzada replaces President Ghani as the head of state of Afghanistan[6] Evacuation of national and international diplomatic, military and civilian personnel (Operation Allies Refuge, Operation Pitting, Operation Devi Shakti) Anti-Taliban forces relocate to Panjshir[7] Start of the 2021 Afghan protests Territorial changes Taliban control Kabul; NATO and the ANA maintained temporary control of Hamid Karzai International Airport for evacuation
Belligerents
Taliban  al-Qaeda (alleged)[1]	Afghanistan Supported by:  United States  United Kingdom
Commanders and leaders
Hibatullah Akhundzada[8] Mohammad Yaqoob Abdul Ghani Baradar[9] Sirajuddin Haqqani Abdul Qayyum Zakir[10] Salahuddin Ayubi[10] Hamdullah Mukhlis[11][12]	Ashraf Ghani[13] Abdul Sattar Mirzakwal Bismillah Khan Hebatullah Alizai[14] Ahmad Zia Saraj[15] Sami Sadat[16] Joe Biden Mark Milley Boris Johnson Nick Carter
Units involved
Taliban	Afghan Armed Forces  Afghan National Army 201st Corps[17] 111th Division[17] Afghan National Police

The capture took place hours after President Ashraf Ghani escaped from the country.^[18] U.S. President Donald Trump's decision to remove troops from Afghanistan, followed by his replacement Joe Biden continuing to do so, made it easier for the Taliban to take power.^[19]

In the days before and after Kabul's fall, thousands of civilians left the country and thousands of others have failed in their attempts to do so.^[20][21] Many Afghan women are scared because they don't know how the Taliban will treat women in Afghanistan.^[22]

On 30 August 2021, evacuations from Afghanistan ended, allowing Taliban to take full control of the country and ending the War in Afghanistan.^[23]

1. ↑ Roggio, Bill (12 July 2021). "Taliban advances as U.S. completes withdrawal". FDD's Long War Journal. Archived from the original on 24 July 2021. Retrieved 16 July 2021.
2. ↑ "Taliban declares 'war is over in Afghanistan' as foreign powers exit Kabul". the Guardian. 2021-08-16. Retrieved 2021-08-26.
3. ↑ Ghantous, Ghaida (18 August 2021). "UAE says Afghanistan's Ghani is in Gulf Arab state". Reuters. Retrieved 18 August 2021.
4. ↑ Baker, Sinéad (19 August 2021). "The Taliban have declared the 'Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan,' the same name it used when it brutally ruled the country in the 1990s". Business Insider. Retrieved 20 August 2021.
5. ↑ "Taliban declare formation of Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan". www.uniindia.com.
6. ↑ Faulkner, Charlie (3 September 2021). "Spiritual leader is Afghanistan's head of state — with bomb suspect set to be PM". The Times. Retrieved 17 January 2022.
7. ↑ "The Panjshir Valley: what is the main bastion of resistance against the Taliban advance in Afghanistan". Market Research Telecast. 17 August 2021. Archived from the original on 16 August 2021. Retrieved 17 August 2021.
8. ↑ Kapetas, Anastasia (16 August 2021). "After the fall of Kabul". www.aspistrategist.org.au/. Archived from the original on 16 August 2021. Retrieved 16 August 2021.
9. ↑ Cite error: The named reference eco was used but no text was provided for refs named (see the help page).
10. ↑ ^{10.0 10.1} Moiz, Ibrahim (27 August 2021). "A tricky path from insurgency to Emirate". TRT World.
11. ↑ "Senior Taliban commander, several civilians killed in Kabul hospital attack". France 24. 2 November 2021.
12. ↑ "First to enter presidential palace, Taliban member died in Daesh attack". TRT World. 3 November 2021.
13. ↑ Batchelor, Tom (15 August 2021). "Afghan president Ashraf Ghani flees capital Kabul for Tajikistan as Taliban enter city". The Independent. Archived from the original on 15 August 2021. Retrieved 15 August 2021.
14. ↑ Azaz, Syed (11 August 2021). "Afghanistan Army Chief removed from post". Geo.tv. Archived from the original on 11 August 2021. Retrieved 16 August 2021.
15. ↑ Cite error: The named reference Talib-commander was used but no text was provided for refs named (see the help page).
16. ↑ Kilcullen, David (17 August 2021). "Critical intervention that swung the battle for Kabul". The Australian. Retrieved 21 August 2021.
17. ↑ ^{17.0 17.1} Roggio, Bill (14 August 2021). "Taliban encircling Afghan capital Kabul, prepping final assault through east". FDD's Long War Journal. Archived from the original on 14 August 2021. Retrieved 15 August 2021.
18. ↑ Mistlin, Alex; Sullivan, Helen; Harding, Luke; Harding, Luke; Borger, Julian; Mason, Rowena (15 August 2021). "Afghanistan: Kabul to shift power to 'transitional administration' after Taliban enter city – live updates". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Archived from the original on 15 August 2021. Retrieved 15 August 2021.
19. ↑ "As the Taliban gains ground, Biden grapples with the ghosts of Saigon". NBC News. Archived from the original on 15 August 2021. Retrieved 15 August 2021.
20. ↑ "Afghanistan Updates: Biden Is Set To Speak As Chaos Unfolds In Kabul". NPR. Archived from the original on 16 August 2021. Retrieved 16 August 2021.
21. ↑ Goldsbrough, Susannah (16 August 2021). "Will the Taliban destroy Afghanistan's priceless treasures?". The Telegraph. Archived from the original on 16 August 2021. Retrieved 16 August 2021.
22. ↑ Batrawy, Aya (15 August 2021). "An Afghan woman in Kabul's dashed hopes amid Taliban blitz". ABC News. Archived from the original on 15 August 2021. Retrieved 15 August 2021.
23. ↑ Afghanistan Live Updates: The United States Occupation Is Over