Free to follow every thread. No paywall, no dead ends.
Afghan conflict: the story on HearLore | HearLore
— Ch. 1 · The King's Quiet End —
Afghan conflict.
~4 min read · Ch. 1 of 7
In July 1973, a cousin named Mohammad Daoud Khan walked into the palace of Kabul and ended forty years of peace. The monarch, King Zahir Shah, did not fight back as his own family was deposed in a largely non-violent coup d'état. This event marked the end of the Kingdom of Afghanistan and the beginning of a new era under the Republic of Afghanistan. Daoud Khan became the first president, but his rule would soon face challenges from within his own government. The country had experienced several droughts, and charges of corruption and poor economic policies were leveled against the ruling dynasty. Discontent grew in urban areas, setting the stage for future instability.
Soviet Intervention And Withdrawal
On the 24th of December 1979, Soviet troops invaded Afghanistan to support the People's Democratic Party of Afghanistan (PDPA). The invasion began with Operation Storm-333, where Soviet Army Spetsnaz killed Hafizullah Amin and replaced him with Babrak Karmal. The Soviet military faced unexpected resistance from Afghan mujahideen fighters who received extensive support from Pakistan, the United States, and Saudi Arabia. This joint covert effort was dubbed Operation Cyclone. By February 1989, all Soviet forces had withdrawn from the country, leaving behind a fragile government under Mohammad Najibullah. During the withdrawal, 523 Soviet soldiers were killed, and the total death toll reached 14,453. The war left up to 2 million Afghans dead and displaced five to ten million more, creating one of the largest refugee crises in history.
Warlords And The Taliban Rise
After the Soviet withdrawal, various mujahideen factions fought each other for control of Kabul. In April 1992, the Peshawar Accord created the Islamic State of Afghanistan, but it failed to remain intact due to power-sharing disagreements. Gulbuddin Hekmatyar's Hezb-e Islami refused to recognize the new government and launched massive bombardments against Kabul. By September 1996, the Taliban seized the capital city with support from Pakistan's Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI). They established the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan and controlled approximately 90% of the country. Northern Afghanistan remained under the authority of the anti-Taliban Northern Alliance, led by Ahmad Shah Massoud. The Taliban imposed strict interpretations of Islam, banning women from public life and executing civilians accused of crimes without trials.
American Invasion And Insurgency
On the 7th of October 2001, the United States began Operation Enduring Freedom to capture Osama bin Laden and replace the Taliban regime. American air support helped Massoud's United Front troops oust the Taliban from Kabul within weeks. A loya jirga convened in June 2002 elected Hamid Karzai as president, establishing the Afghan Transitional Authority. Over the next two decades, NATO-led forces fought a protracted insurgency against the reorganized Taliban. In 2010, U.S. President Barack Obama deployed an additional 30,000 soldiers, but troop withdrawals were planned for 2014. Despite billions in reconstruction aid, corruption and inefficiency hampered progress. Civilian casualties reached alarming levels, with the Taliban responsible for 76% of civilian deaths in 2009 according to UN reports.
Global Powers Fueling Conflict
Pakistan played a central role in sustaining the conflict through its ISI agency. Between 1994 and 1999, an estimated 80,000 to 100,000 Pakistanis trained and fought alongside the Taliban. Pakistani military officers provided direct combat support, including sending thousands of regular soldiers to fight against anti-Taliban forces. Iran supported Shia Hazara militias like Hezb-i Wahdat, while Saudi Arabia backed Wahhabite factions such as Abdul Rasul Sayyaf's Ittihad-i Islami. These regional powers used Afghanistan as a battleground for their own security agendas. The United Nations Security Council imposed arms embargoes on Pakistan in 2000 due to its involvement in supplying the Taliban. By 2001, over 45,000 foreign fighters, including Pakistani nationals and Al-Qaeda militants, operated within Afghanistan.
Human Cost And Refugee Crisis
Thirty years of continuous warfare resulted in catastrophic human losses. Estimates suggest between 1,405,111 and 2,084,468 people were killed during the Afghan conflict. Five to ten million Afghans fled to neighboring countries like Pakistan and Iran, representing one-third of the prewar population. Another two million were internally displaced within Afghanistan itself. Civilian suffering was widespread, with reports of systematic massacres by both Taliban and other armed groups. In Mazar-i-Sharif alone, about 4,000 civilians were executed by the Taliban in 1998. Women faced extreme restrictions under Taliban rule, being banned from education and healthcare while forced into virtual house arrest. The humanitarian crisis left deep scars on Afghan society that persist today.
Final Collapse And Withdrawal
In April 2021, U.S. President Joe Biden announced all American troops would withdraw from Afghanistan by the 31st of August. As U.S. forces began leaving, the Taliban launched a rapid offensive capturing countryside areas and regional capitals without significant resistance. By the 15th of August, almost the entire country fell under Taliban control, forcing President Ashraf Ghani to flee to Tajikistan. Kabul was captured that same day, marking the collapse of the Islamic Republic. Coalition forces destroyed or damaged 75 aircraft and over 100 vehicles at Hamid Karzai International Airport before departing. Despite international calls for refugee admissions, only a tiny percentage of vulnerable Afghans were allowed entry into the United States. The Taliban re-established the Islamic Emirate, ending two decades of foreign military presence but leaving behind ongoing clashes with ISIS, Taliban factions and anti-Taliban holdouts.
The Afghan conflict began in July 1973 when Mohammad Daoud Khan ended forty years of peace by deposing King Zahir Shah. This coup marked the end of the Kingdom of Afghanistan and the start of a new era under the Republic of Afghanistan.
What happened on the 24th of December 1979 during the Afghan conflict?
Soviet troops invaded Afghanistan to support the People's Democratic Party of Afghanistan (PDPA) on the 24th of December 1979. The invasion started with Operation Storm-333, which resulted in the death of Hafizullah Amin and his replacement by Babrak Karmal.
How many people died during the thirty years of continuous warfare in Afghanistan?
Estimates suggest between 1,405,111 and 2,084,468 people were killed during the thirty years of continuous warfare in Afghanistan. Five to ten million Afghans fled to neighboring countries while another two million were internally displaced within Afghanistan itself.
Who was responsible for 76% of civilian deaths in 2009 according to UN reports?
The Taliban was responsible for 76% of civilian deaths in 2009 according to United Nations reports. Civilian casualties reached alarming levels throughout the war despite billions in reconstruction aid provided over the next two decades.
When did U.S. President Joe Biden announce all American troops would withdraw from Afghanistan?
U.S. President Joe Biden announced all American troops would withdraw from Afghanistan by the 31st of August 2021. By the 15th of August, almost the entire country fell under Taliban control forcing President Ashraf Ghani to flee to Tajikistan.