9/11 Wars: Timeline

This ends a seven year civil war which followed the withdrawal of Soviet forces in 1989. They impose an extreme version of Islamic law.

The terrorist group Al-Qaeda relocate to Afghanistan and operate under the protection of the Taliban regime.

The Taliban government refuses to extradite Osama bin Laden. He is wanted for organising a series of embassy bombings carried out by Al Qaeda the previous year.

Ahmad Shah Masood, leader of the Northern Alliance – the main opposition to the Taliban - is assassinated.

Two planes are flown into the Twin Towers of the World Trade Center in New York City, causing both towers to collapse. A third plane crashes into the Pentagon, just outside Washington, DC. The fourth plane crashes in rural Pennsylvania after the crew and passengers attacked the terrorists on board, preventing it from hitting another target in the US capital.

3,000 people are killed in the attacks.

US President George W Bush demands that the Taliban hand over Osama bin Laden and expel Al Qaeda from Afghanistan. When they refuse, Bush declares a 'War on Terror'.

American, British and Afghan United Front (Northern Alliance) forces are deployed to destroy al-Qaeda and remove the Taliban regime.The first British troops are deployed to Afghanistan. 40 Commando Royal Marines secure Bagram airfield.

Afghanistan’s capital city Kabul is captured by Afghan forces known as the ‘Northern Alliance’. Taliban leaders flee to Pakistan or to the north of the country.

President Bush calls for a return of weapons inspectors to Iraq.

US forces and their allies attempt to kill or capture Osama Bin Laden in a network of caves in eastern Afghanistan. Bin Laden evades capture and escapes to Pakistan.

Taliban lose control of the city of Kandahar, their final stronghold.

International Conference on Afghanistan is held in Bonn, Germany. Plans for a transitional government are agreed and Hamid Karzai is appointed head of the Afghan Interim Authority. The International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) is established with a UN mandate to help secure Kabul and assist the new administration.

16 Air Assault Brigade lead first ISAF deployment to Afghanistan

Op Fingal. Troops from 2 Para are deployed to Kabul. They help train Afghan forces and carry out peacekeeping duties in the city.

President Bush declares an ‘axis of evil’ during his State of the Union address.

A series of operations (Ptarmigan, Snipe, Condor and Buzzard) by coalition forces including 45 Commando Royal Marines to clear any remaining Al Qaida and Taliban forces from Khost and Paktia provinces.

Loya Jirga elects Hamid Karzai as president of the Afghan Transitional Administration for a two year period.

The UN Security Council adopts Resolution 1441, giving Saddam Hussein a final opportunity to comply with disarmament obligations.

Anti-war protests are held across the world against the invasion of Iraq.

More than 40,000 British troops are committed in support of the invasion.

Baghdad and Basra are taken by US and UK forces in Iraq.

President Bush declares “Mission Accomplished” in Iraq.

UK establishes a Provincial Reconstruction Team (PRT) in Mazar-e-Sharif, Balkh Province in the north of Afghanistan.

NATO takes command of ISAF.  In December NATO announces expansion into the north of Afghanistan, part one of a four stage plan which will ultimately see ISAF assume responsibility across the whole of Afghanistan.

Operation Red Dawn. US forces capture Saddam Hussein near his hometown of Tikrit.

Ambush of four US security contractors sparks unrest in Fallujah, Iraq.

Photographs are published showing prisoner abuse at Abu Ghraib, Iraq.

Herrick is the new formal name for all British operations in Afghanistan.

Hamid Karzai is elected president.

Work begins on Camp Bastion, a British base located in the desert west of Gereshk, Helmand Province.

A British Preliminary Operations (Prelim Ops) team arrives in Afghanistan to prepare for the move into Helmand.

Defence Secretary John Reid formally announces that 3,150 UK troops will deploy to Helmand in May.

16 Air Assault Brigade, commanded by Brigadier Ed Butler, deploy as Task Force Helmand. Troops arrive throughout May.

A British team takes over the US-led PRT in Lashkar Gah, Helmand Province

Fighting erupts in Now Zad during an operation to locate a local Taliban leader.

Rocket attack on the Sangin District Centre manned by British troops.

Danish troops withdraw from Musa Qala.

Op Sinbad begins in Basra to root out corrupt police and aid reconstruction.

A ceasefire deal is negotiated by local elders and UK forces leave the following month in a convoy of local vehicles.The Taliban re-establish control of the town in early 2007.

President Bush announces the US “surge” in Iraq.

Op Silver. A British operation to clear Sangin of insurgents, part of the larger US led Operation Achilles.

Op Herrick 6.  Led by 12 Mechanised Brigade under Brigadier John Lorimer.

Op Silicon, a large Task Force wide operation in the Upper Gereshk Valley. The first of a series of such operations in the coming months.

Led by 52 (Lowland) Infantry Brigade under Brigadier Andrew Mackay.

Start of a large scale operation recapture Musa Qala from Taliban control. It ends in January 2008.

New hospital building opens at Camp Bastion, replacing an earlier tented structure.

Led by 16 Air Assault Brigade under Brigadier Mark Carleton-Smith.

A large scale operation to transport a new turbine to the Kajaki dam. This involves most of Task Force Helmand’s infantry soldiers together with Danish and Canadian troops and some Afghan forces.

Led by 3 Commando Brigade under Brigadier Gordon Messenger.

Taliban launch a major assault against Lashkar Gah, almost over-running the provincial capital.

Initiated by General David Richards, Commander-in Chief Land Forces, this formally puts the British Army on a ‘war footing’ and the Helmand campaign is designated the MoD’s ‘main effort.’

Led by 19 Light Brigade under Brigadier Tim Radford.

Britain ends combat operations in Iraq.

Op Panchai Palang (panther’s claw). A large operation involving over 3,000 troops aimed at securing the area north of Lashkar Gah. The operation formally ends on 25 July.

Mastiff 2 - a heavily armoured, six-wheel-drive patrol vehicle arrives in Afghanistan. It provides greater protection from IED strikes for its occupants.

Afghan presidential and parliamentary elections. Hamid Karzai is re-elected despite low turnout across the country and evidence of electoral fraud.

US President Barack Obama announces a surge in US forces in Afghanistan, bringing total number deployed to 100,000. He also announces plans to start withdrawing from Afghanistan in summer 2011.

A large operation to clear the final Taliban stronghold in central Helmand. It involves 15,000 British, American and Afghan troops. This proves to be the last large scale operation undertaken by UK forces.

Led by 4 Mechanised Brigade under Brigadier Richard Felton.

US Marines take responsibility for overall command of NATO operations in Helmand with creation of new ISAF Regional Command – Southwest.

General David Petraeus takes over from General Stanley McChrystal as Commander of ISAF forces.

Sangin is handed over to the US Marines.

Led by 16 Air Assault Brigade under Brig James Chiswell.

NATO conference in Lisbon. Discussions centre on the withdrawal of NATO forces. ISAF heads of state and the Afghan government sign an enduring partnership agreement.

Led by 3 Commando Brigade under Brigadier Ed Davis.

Osama Bin Laden is killed in Pakistan by American Special Forces.

Departure of the last UK naval training team from Iraq.

President Obama announces the planned withdrawal of 30,000 US troops by the following summer.

British had over responsibility for security in Lashkar Gah to Afghan forces.

Led by 20 Armoured Brigade under Brigadier Patrick Sanders.

12 Mechanised Brigade under Brigadier David Chalmers.

Confirms that ISAF troops will withdraw by the end of 2014.

The vehicle provides unprecedented levels of blast protection for its size and weight. It is the eventual successor to the lightly armoured Snatch Land Rover and Vector vehicles.

Denmark ends its combat operations in Afghanistan.

Two US Marines are killed and several aircraft damaged.

Led by 4 Mechanised Brigade under Brigadier Bob Bruce.

Led by 1 Mechanised Brigade under Brigadier Rupert Jones.

The Afghan National Army takes over responsibility for all military and security operations in the country from ISAF.

Helmand Provincial Reconstruction Team (PRT) closes.

Afghan Presidential election, former Finance Minister Ashraf Ghani is elected President.

UK ends combat operations in Afghanistan

After NATO formally ends its 13 year combat mission in Afghanistan in December 2014, the Resolute Support Mission begins in January 2015 to provide continued training and support of the Afghan security forces. It includes troops from 36 NATO allies and partners.

A peace agreement is signed between the government of Afghan President Ashraf Ghani in Kabul and Hezb-i Islami Gulbuddin, the second largest domestic militant group after the Taliban.

500 British service personnel remain in Afghanistan as part of NATO’s Resolute Support Mission.

The United States and the Taliban sign a peace agreement in Doha, Qatar. The provisions include the withdrawal of all American and NATO troops from Afghanistan, a Taliban pledge to prevent al-Qaeda from operating in areas under Taliban control, and talks between the Taliban and the Afghan government.

Talks begin between the Afghan government and the Taliban.

US President Joe Biden announces that he will withdraw the remaining 2,500 US troops from Afghanistan on 11 September 2021, twenty years since the 9/11 attacks.

The remainder of NATO forces begin leaving Afghanistan.

All US and NATO troops leave Bagram airbase, which has been the main base for US operations since 2001.

The Taliban switch their focus from border crossings and rural districts to attacks on major towns and cities.

The city of Kandahar falls to the Taliban. 

Afghan President Ashraf Ghani leaves Afghanistan for Tajikistan.

The Taliban enter Kabul.