Narrative
Narrative of the Organization's History
Narrative of the Organization's History
Leadership, Name Changes, Size Estimates, Resources, Geographic Locations
Ideology, Aims, Political Activities, Targets, and Tactics
First Attacks, Largest Attacks, Notable Attacks
Foreign Designations and Listings, Community Relations, Relations with Other Groups, State Sponsors and External Influences
Mapping relationships with other militant groups over time in regional maps
The Taliban’s primary ideological goal is to establish a Taliban-controlled government in Afghanistan, implementing and enforcing Sharia law. The group’s ideology is based on the study of Salafism, a radical interpretation of Islam.[115] The ideology of the Taliban is considered a shift from traditional Islamist views held by anti-Soviet mujahedeen fighters in the 1980s and early 1990s. It can be characterized as a combination of strict anti-modern Pashtun tribal ideology mixed with radicalized Deobandi interpretations of Islam.
The Taliban has an ideological commitment to a strict interpretation and enforcement of Sharia law.[116] The group promoted jihad as a “divine obligation” and heavily encourages it among members, citing that failure to support jihad is a sin.[117] The rise of the Islamic State (IS) prompted the Taliban to publicly encourage the preservation of pan-Islamic unity. The group views IS as a threat to its goal of establishing a unified Islamist movement with the goal of expelling Western powers due to its extremism.[118]
The Taliban established the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan on September 27, 1996, and governed Afghanistan until October 2001; however, the group’s rule was only recognized by Saudi Arabia, Pakistan, and the United Arab Emirates.[119]
The Taliban opened a political commission in 2008 to conduct international and domestic outreach. On June 18, 2013, the group opened an office for the political commission in Doha, Qatar, which received heavy international criticism and was forced to close the same month. The office, however, continued to operate in an unofficial capacity. The Taliban has been successful in leveraging the desire of Afghan leaders and international mediating nations to bring the group to the table to achieve concessions such as removal from the Rewards for Justice list, a U.S. Department of State program that pays rewards for information that prevents or resolves acts of terrorism against the United States.[120]
In May 2015, the Taliban took part in informal peace talks with Afghan officials but insisted that it would not end its fighting until all foreign troops had left the country.[121] Talks collapsed quickly, but a secret meeting between an Afghan delegation and Taliban members in Qatar at the end of February 2016 provided an opening to future negotiations.[122]
A brief ceasefire was negotiated in June 2018.[123] Renewed peace talks between the U.S. and the Taliban began in late 2018.[124] In 2019, the U.S. and the Taliban continued peace negotiations in Doha, Qatar. Key elements of these negotiations included the withdrawal of U.S. military force and the requirement that the Taliban engage in intra-Afghan political negotiations with the Afghan government and key stakeholders. [125] In September 2019, the Trump administration called off the peace negotiation process after a U.S. soldier was killed in a Taliban car bomb attack in Kabul.[126]
On February 29, 2020, the U.S. and the Taliban signed a peace agreement that promised the withdrawal of U.S. military presence in Afghanistan, outlined a commitment to intra-Afghan dialogue on a “permanent and comprehensive” ceasefire, and stated that Afghanistan would not be used to harbor terrorist organizations.[127] On September 12, 2020, the Afghan government and the Taliban met in Doha to begin intra-Afghan peace talks about the future of Afghanistan post-U.S. and NATO troop withdrawal.[128]
Since taking power in 2021, the Taliban have imposed their system of governance in Afghanistan, reverting to laws and a policing approach they developed when they first ruled Afghanistan in the 1990s. This has included restrictions on educational access for girls and on permissible activities for women more broadly. The group refers to its government as the ‘Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan.’ The group has altered the structure of various Afghan ministries, appointed senior Taliban leaders as acting ministers, and brought back the Ministry of Propagation of Virtue and Prevention of Vice. As of August 2022, they had yet to codify a new constitution. They have publicly stated that they will rule Afghanistan in accordance with “Islamic law and Afghan values.”[129]
The central targets of Taliban violence are coalition troops and Afghan government forces. The Taliban has utilized suicide bombings, IEDs, rocket attacks, assassinations, guerilla warfare, massacres, and kidnappings.[130]
The group has attacked non-combatant targets, including civilians and aid workers.[131] Following the surge of U.S. troops in Afghanistan in 2009, Taliban forces increased attacks against civilians. A 2011 UN report identifies Taliban forces as responsible for 76 percent of civilian deaths in 2009, 75 percent in 2010, and 80 percent in 2011.[132] The Taliban has consistently targeted women in their attacks; since 2007, the Taliban has placed IEDs in more than 15 girls’ schools.[133]
The group has also employed suicide bombers, including female suicide bombers, to target international forces. The Taliban has been known to use civilians to draw coalition forces into an area and subsequently detonate an explosive device or carry out an attack against these forces. These attacks often killed more civilians than coalition forces.[134]
In 2017 and 2018, the Taliban increased direct attacks against U.S. government entities, evident by the group’s targeting of U.S. military bases and an attempted attack on U.S. Secretary of Defense James Mattis on September 27, 2017.[135] Taliban attacks continued sporadically through 2019, notably on Kabul-based targets.[136] Lower levels of violence were recorded in 2020.[137] After U.S. President Biden announced the withdrawal of U.S. troops on April 14, 2021, the Taliban began a major, nation-wide military offensive to take control of Afghanistan beginning in May.[138]
After reestablishing the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan in 2021, the Taliban have used violent methods to eliminate armed resistance against their rule. This has included reports of summary executions and the torture of prisoners and detainees. The group has leveraged arrests, beatings, and detention to silence dissent against its rule.[139] The Taliban has also sought to eliminate ISKP’s presence in Afghanistan through targeted campaigns.[140]
Disclaimer: These are some selected major attacks in the militant organization's history. It is not a comprehensive listing but captures some of the most famous attacks or turning points during the campaign.
August 1994: Taliban militia marched northward from Maiwand and captured the city of Kandahar losing only a couple dozen men. Shortly thereafter, Kandahar became the capital of the Taliban government (unknown killed, unknown wounded).[141]
September 9, 2001: Two Al Qaeda members, posing as journalists, detonated explosives hidden in their camera during an interview with Afghan civil and military leader Ahmad Shah Massoud. At the time he was the largest opposition to the Taliban. It is speculated that the Taliban worked with Al Qaeda to assassinate Massoud. (1 killed, unknown wounded)[142]
September 8, 2006: A suicide bomber drove a car into a U.S. armored vehicle outside the U.S. embassy in Kabul and detonated explosives, killing 16. Two American soldiers were killed in the attack. It was the deadliest attack since the 2001 invasion began. (16 killed, 29 wounded).[143]
February 27, 2007: A suicide bomber later identified as Mullah Abdul Rahim blew himself up the front gate of the U.S. military base at Bagram while U.S. Vice President Dick Cheney was present in the compound. The Taliban claimed responsibility for the attack and said that Cheney was the intended target. Cheney survived the attack unharmed. The explosion killed and wounded several American and allied soldiers as well as Afghan and Pakistani truck drivers and laborers who were waiting for access at the gate. (23 killed, 12+ wounded).[144]
July 12, 2011: Afghanistan’s President’s half-brother and governor of Kandahar, Ahmad Wali Karzai was shot by his head of security, Sardar Mohammed. The Taliban claimed responsibility for the attack, calling it one of their top achievements in 10 years of war. (1 Killed, unknown wounded).[145]
September 20, 2011: An assassin with explosives hidden in his turban was ushered into the home of Burhanuddin Rabbani, the leader of Afghanistan’s High Peace Council and a former president. The assassin embraced Rabbani and then exploded the bomb, killing him and dealing a blow to the effort to reconcile with the Taliban and end 10 years of war. (1 killed, unknown wounded)[146]
June 11, 2013: A suicide bomber detonated a bomb outside Kabul's Supreme Court killing six judges, among others. The Taliban claimed responsibility for the attack and said the court employees had been targeted for "legalizing the infidels" and "cruel" behavior against Afghans. (17 killed, 40+ wounded).[147]
January 17, 2014: A Taliban suicide squad attacked a restaurant in Kabul’s diplomatic quarter. In what was regarded as the worst attack on foreign civilians in Afghanistan since the U.S.-led invasion in 2001. The 13 foreign victims included the country head of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and four UN staff members. (21 killed, unknown wounded)[148]
September 15, 2015: Taliban insurgents seize the city of Kunduz marking the biggest advancement made by the Taliban since the U.S.-led invasion in 2001. The attack did not result in many casualties but gave control of the city to the Taliban and resulted in the release of 500 prisoners from the local jail. (4 killed, unknown wounded)[149]
April 19, 2016: Armed militants in Afghanistan stormed a key government security agency in Kabul as part of a coordinated assault, killing at least 28 people and wounding more than 320. The Taliban claimed responsibility for the attack, which included a suicide car bombing. (28 killed, 320 wounded). [150]
April 21, 2017: Taliban militants disguised as Afghan army personnel attack an army base in the Balkh province. The attack was conducted by multiple suicide bombers and gunmen. Afghanistan’s defense minister and army chief of staff resigned following the attack. (100 killed, unknown wounded).[151]
August 3-5, 2017: 600 militants attack a village in the Sar-e Pul province, capturing the village after a 48-hour battle against the Afghan local police. Afghan officials claimed it was a joint operation conducted by the Taliban and ISIS yet the Taliban denied working with ISIS or any other foreign fighters. (50 killed, unknown wounded).[152]
January 28, 2018: The Taliban used an ambulance as a car bomb, detonating it at a security checkpoint in Kabul. (95 killed, 191 wounded).[153]
June 20, 2018: Taliban militants attacked Afghan soldiers and captured a military base in the Western province of Badghis. This was their first major attack after a ceasefire was called for the Eid al-Fitr holiday. (46 killed, unknown wounded).[154]
May 8, 2019: The Taliban attacked a U.S.-based aid organization in Kabul. (5 killed, 24 wounded).[155]
July 1, 2019: Taliban militants attacked the Afghan National Army Logistic and Armory Directorate. (40 killed and over 100 wounded).[156]
September 2, 2019: The Taliban used a suicide car bomb to attack a facility in Kabul, with offices of several international organizations (16 killed and over 119 wounded).[157]
September 5, 2019: The Taliban detonated another suicide car bomb in Kabul, killing a U.S. military paratrooper. (12 killed and over 40 wounded).[158]
December 11, 2019: The Taliban attacked a hospital at Bagram Airfield. (2 killed and over 80 wounded).[159]
March 7, 2020: Militants attacked a pro-government militia outpost in Herat province. (7 killed and unknown wounded).[160]
May - July, 2021: The Taliban began to advance through different regions of Afghanistan taking over territory, in the wake of U.S. troop withdrawal (unknown killed and unknown wounded).[161]
August 6, 2021: The Taliban took over Zaranj, the provincial capital of Nimruz (unknown killed and unknown wounded).[162]
August 7, 2021: The Taliban took over Shebergan, the provincial capital of Jowzjan (unknown killed and unknown wounded).[163]
August 8, 2021: The Taliban attacked key cities in Sar-E Pol, Kunduz, and Takhar provinces (unknown killed and unknown wounded).[164]
August 9, 2021: The Taliban took Aybak, the capital of Samangan province (unknown killed and unknown wounded).[165]
August 10 - 11, 2021: The Taliban took the capital cities of Badakhshan, Farah, and Baglan provinces (unknown killed and unknown wounded).[166]
August 12 - 13, 2021: The Taliban took control of the major Afghan cities of Kandahar, Herat, and Lashkar Gah (unknown killed and unknown wounded).[167]
August 15, 2021: The Taliban took Kabul, the capital of Afghanistan, and the presidential palace (unknown killed and unknown wounded).[168]
Since the Taliban took power in 2021, no foreign government has yet to officially recognize them.[173]
The Taliban is composed largely of ethnic Pashtuns. Accordingly, a significant portion of Taliban members follow Pashtunwali, a strict moral and cultural code of conduct for Pashtun tribesmen.[174]
Between 1996-2001, the Taliban government was known for poor treatment of its citizens, particularly women and minorities. Food was often denied to the population when provided by the United Nations or foreign assistance. Women were punished severely for crimes, denied access to health care, education, and were forced to follow strict dress codes and curfews.[175] This treatment and approach to policy has resumed since the group’s takeover of Afghanistan in 2021.[176]
The Taliban maintains relationships with a number of militant groups. Al Qaeda members, Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan (IMU) members, and thousands of Pakistani Islamic militants have fought for the Taliban.[177]
Osama bin Laden and his followers who formed Al Qaeda returned to Afghanistan in May 1996 after being expelled from Sudan. At the time, bin Laden and Mullah Omar were not associated. When the Taliban took control of Jalalabad, the city where bin Laden was living, Al Qaeda operatives fell under custody of the Taliban. The relationship between Al Qaeda and the Taliban during the second half of the 1990s was often tense. The two groups had little interaction and bin Laden pursued an independent agenda, often to the detriment of the Taliban. Mullah Omar and bin Laden eventually developed a relationship, although the extent and details of their association remain unclear during these years.
Al Qaeda and the Afghan Taliban remained two distinct groups with different membership, agendas, ideologies, and objectives. The interaction and contacts between the two groups are found in three main forms: individual ties, a shared religious motivation, and a shared location. Following the September 11, 2001, attacks, Mullah Omar refused to apprehend bin Laden for foreign authorities. The Taliban did, however, release a statement condemning the attacks.[178] Throughout their relationship, the Taliban rarely made mention of its connection with Al Qaeda. In contrast, Al Qaeda regularly confirmed its loyalty to the Taliban.[179]
In August 2015, Al Qaeda leader Ayman al Zawahiri pledged his support to the Afghan Taliban.[180] Mansour acknowledged and accepted the pledge of loyalty in a public message, an unusual open acknowledgement by the Taliban of its continued alliance with Al Qaeda.[181] Zawahiri was killed by a U.S. drone strike on July 31, 2022; at the time, he was living in the house of a senior Taliban leader.[182]
The Taliban has also cooperated with the Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan (IMU). The IMU is known to have integrated its operations with the Taliban in northern Afghanistan and maintains its base of support across the border in Pakistan.[183] IMU leaders also served in the Taliban’s first government. It was reported that more than 600 IMU militants were provided to the Taliban to aid in fighting against ethnic-Tajik leader Massoud in 2000 and 2001. The Taliban and Al Qaeda are both accused of providing financial and logistical assistance to the IMU.[184]
The Haqqani Network (HN) maintains close ties to the Taliban. The group was founded by Jalaluddin Haqqani and is currently led by his son, Sirajuddin, who was named a deputy head of the Taliban in 2015. The HN has been providing weapons and training to Taliban members since the mid-1990s and remains one of the largest militant organizations in the region, commanding more than 15,000 fighters throughout the FATA in Pakistan and southern Afghanistan. Though a separate entity, militants are often tied to both HN and the Taliban and take part in Taliban operations throughout Afghanistan and northwestern Pakistan. Founder Jalaluddin Haqqani pledged the loyalty of his group to Mullah Omar.[185]
The Taliban is a separate organization from the Tehrik-e-Taliban (TTP) in Pakistan.[186] The TTP was established in 2007, claiming to be an extension of the Afghan Taliban in Pakistan. The group aimed to implement Sharia law in Pakistan. It provided Taliban and Al Qaeda members with shelter and bases in Pakistan.[187] After the Taliban took control of the government in 2021, it released hundreds of TTP militants from Afghan prisons. [188] At this time, the TTP also renewed its pledge of allegiance to the Taliban.[189]
The Taliban leadership has voiced strong opposition to the Islamic State (IS) affiliate in Afghanistan known as the Islamic State – Khorasan Province (ISKP). In June 2015, the Taliban’s deputy leader Mullah Akhtar Mohammad Mansoor wrote a public letter warning IS to stay out of Afghanistan.[190] The group has publicly condemned IS actions in the region, citing that it hinders the creation of Pan-Islamist unity. Since taking power, the Taliban has sought to eliminate ISKP in Afghanistan. ISKP has engaged in numerous terrorist attacks against Afghans and attempted to “position itself as the most legitimate jihadist group in the country.”[191]
Pakistan: The Taliban was publicly supported and funded by the Pakistani government from 1994 to 2001 during its rule of Afghanistan.[192] This support emerges from the belief that a government ruled by the Taliban (with members educated in Islamic madrassas established by Pakistan) would prioritize Islamic nationalism over ethnic Pashtun ties. Pakistan’s government worries that Pashtun dominant territories might cede to Afghanistan, exacerbated by the lack of consensus around the Durand Line (the border dividing Afghanistan and Pakistan).[193] Pakistan withdrew public support for the Taliban government after the U.S. invaded Afghanistan in 2001, but the Inter-Service Intelligence agency (ISI) continued to support the Taliban covertly. Pakistan has denied claims that the ISI supports the Taliban. However, U.S. intelligence reports from the raid on Osama bin Laden’s compound in Abbottabad, Pakistan indicate that the ISI never cut relations with the Taliban.[194] When the Taliban took over in 2021, Pakistan’s prime minister, Imran Khan, stated that the group had “broken the shackles of slavery.”[195] However, the relationship since the takeover remains unclear: the Taliban has failed to accommodate Pakistan on several issues, including the group’s ongoing support for the Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) and the Taliban’s publicly expressed interest in working with India to train Afghan troops.[196]
Russia: In December 2015, Zamir Kabulov, President Vladimir Putin’s special envoy to Afghanistan stated that Russia is coordinating with the Taliban to hinder the spread of the Islamic State in Afghanistan.[197] In 2017, the U.S. military claimed that it had received reports that Russia was arming the Taliban. Russia denied the allegations.[198]
Saudi Arabia: In 2001, Saudi Arabia began privately funding the Taliban. The Taliban finance minister claimed that the group raised money from foundations and wealthy individuals within the country. However, Saudi intelligence chief Turki al-Faisal denied that the Saudi government provided any support for the Taliban.[199]
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