Non-state allies:
66-484: Warsaj District is a district of Takhar Province , northern Afghanistan . Warsaj has an area of 2705.3 square kilometers, comparatively equivalent to the area of Unalaska Island . Warsaj District is located at the end of the Farkhar River valley and has historically only had roads to Farkhar and beyond to Taloqan , but has roads built recently connecting it to Fereng Wa Gharu and Khost wa Fereng . Most of
132-490: A 1995 report: This is the first time in several months that Kabul civilians have become the targets of rocket attacks and shelling aimed at residential areas in the city. The Taliban's early victories in 1994 were followed by a series of defeats that resulted in heavy losses which led analysts to believe the Taliban movement had run its course. At that point Pakistan and Saudi Arabia drastically increased their support to
198-559: A Taliban insurgency gained increasing strength. In 2010, Afghan President Karzai decided that the only way to end the Taliban insurgency was to call for peace. This process became accepted and supported by all international partners of Afghanistan, except by several key figures of the Northern Alliance such as Abdullah Abdullah, Ahmad Zia Massoud, Mohammad Mohaqiq, and others. The opposition, by then splintered into several parties, warned that Karzai's appeasement policy could come at
264-713: A consequent overwhelming support for India among Karzai's Afghan government officials, Pakistan looked to neutralise this threat by cultivating the Taliban in 2001. The assistance provided by India was extensive, including uniforms, ordnance, mortars, small armaments, refurbished Kalashnikovs, combat and winter clothes, as well as funds. In 2001 alone, according to several international sources, 28,000–30,000 Afghans, who took refuge in Pakistan during Afghan jihad, 14,000–15,000 Afghan Taliban and 2,000–3,000 Al Qaeda militants were fighting against anti-Taliban forces in Afghanistan as
330-458: A large-scale attack on U.S. soil being imminent. On September 9, 2001, two Arab suicide attackers , allegedly belonging to Al Qaeda, posing as journalists, detonated a bomb hidden in a video camera while interviewing Ahmed Shah Massoud in the Takhar province of Afghanistan. Commander Massoud died in a helicopter that was taking him to a hospital. He was buried in his home village of Bazarak in
396-665: A massive offensive towards the capital of Kabul. Many non Pashtuns in the Afghan military defected to the alliance. After removing Najibullah from power the alliance would dismantle as another civil war would break out between the various groups and Gulbuddin Hekmatyar's Hezbi Islami which many Pashtun Khalqists allied with. The civil war would see foreign interference from Saudi Arabia and Iran , as competitors for regional hegemony , supported Afghan militias hostile towards each other. According to Human Rights Watch, Iran
462-532: A nationwide political process with the goal of national consolidation and democratic elections , also inviting the Taliban to join the process but they refused as they opposed a democratic system. The Taliban started shelling Kabul in early 1995 but were defeated by forces of the Islamic State government under Ahmad Shah Massoud . Amnesty International , referring to the Taliban offensive, wrote in
528-796: A police checkpoint in the Kalafgan district . This was the first time since the fall of Taliban regime in 2001 that the Taliban insurgents engaged police in this province. Mullah Usman was the most senior Taliban commander in the northeast region of Afghanistan, according to the Afghan Interior Ministry . In May 2009, Taliban insurgents fighting Afghan government attacked the Baharak district in Takhar province. A bomb attack on 28 May 2011 killed General Shahjahan Noori , Mohammed Daud Daud and injured Governor Taqwa. Several German soldiers and Afghans were also killed. In April 2012,
594-419: A population of about 42,175 and a sex ratio of 97 males for every 100 females. 100% of Warsaj's population is Tajik . The median age is 17.5, which is the highest in the province. About 39% of the population is working, and about 12% of the unemployed are seeking a job. The district is home to about 6,800 households, with an average size of 6.2 people. Takhar Province Takhar ( Dari / Pashto : تخار )
660-601: A prominent figure, leading the second resistance to support security forces and prevent the Taliban from taking control of Taluqan city. Despite the Taliban eventually gaining control of the province on August 8, 2021, the Resistance Forces have remained present in the area. On 26 October, the 7.5 Mw Hindu Kush earthquake shook northern Afghanistan with a maximum Mercalli intensity of VIII ( Severe ). This earthquake destroyed almost 30,000 homes, left several hundred dead, and more than 1,700 injured. As of 2021,
726-626: A return to the chaos similar to that of the 1992–1996 civil war , all the Afghan leaders met in Germany to create a new government. Hamid Karzai was chosen to lead the country and most key positions were given to Tajik members of the Northern Alliance. This created a major international issue. While Pakistan has always favored Afghanistan's major ethnic group, the Pashtun, India saw an opportunity for increasing its regional power by jumping on board with
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#1732780008071792-493: A roughly 45,000 strong military force. Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf – then as Chief of Army Staff – was responsible for sending thousands of Pakistanis to fight alongside the Taliban and Bin Laden against the forces of Ahmad Shah Massoud. Of the estimated 28,000 Afghan refugees returned from Pakistan fighting in Afghanistan, 8,000 were militants recruited in madrassas filling regular Taliban ranks. A 1998 document by
858-685: A rural society. Between the early 16th century and the mid-18th century, the territory was ruled by the Khanate of Bukhara . It was given to Ahmad Shah Durrani by Murad Beg of Bukhara after a treaty of friendship was reached in or about 1750, and became part of the Durrani Empire . It was ruled by the Durranis followed by the Barakzai dynasty and was untouched by the British during
924-402: Is one of the thirty-four provinces of Afghanistan , located in the northeast of the country next to Tajikistan . It is surrounded by Badakhshan in the east, Panjshir in the south, and Baghlan and Kunduz in the west. The city of Taloqan serves as its capital. The province contains 17 districts , over 1,000 villages, and approximately 1,113,173 people, which is multi-ethnic and mostly
990-770: The "Airlift of Evil" . The role of the Pakistani military has been described by international observers as well as by the anti-Taliban leader Ahmad Shah Massoud as a "creeping invasion". The "creeping invasion" proved unable to defeat the severely outnumbered anti-Taliban forces. According to a 55-page report by the United Nations , the Taliban, while trying to consolidate control over northern and western Afghanistan, committed systematic massacres against civilians. UN officials stated that there had been "15 massacres" between 1996 and 2001. They also said, that "[t]hese have been highly systematic and they all lead back to
1056-617: The Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan 's ( Taliban ) takeover of Kabul , The United Front was reassembled. The Northern Alliance fought a defensive war against the Taliban regime. They received support from India , Iran , Russia , Tajikistan , Turkmenistan , the United States and Uzbekistan , while the Taliban were extensively backed by the Pakistan Army and Pakistan's Inter-Services Intelligence . By 2001,
1122-534: The Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan . Ahmad Shah Massoud and Abdul Rashid Dostum , former allies and enemies, recreated a United Front (Northern Alliance) against the Taliban that were preparing offensives against the remaining areas under the control of Massoud and those under the control of Dostum. The United Front included beside the dominantly Tajik forces of Massoud and the Uzbek forces of Dostum, Hazara troops led by Haji Mohammad Mohaqiq and Pashtun forces under
1188-586: The Panjshir Valley . The funeral, although taking place in a rather rural area, was attended by hundreds of thousands of mourning people. The assassination of Massoud is considered to have a strong connection to the attacks in the U.S. two days later, which killed nearly 3,000 people and which appeared to be the terrorist attack that Massoud had warned against in his speech to the European Parliament several months earlier. John P. O'Neill
1254-788: The Six plus Two Group meetings at the United Nations Headquarters. In November and December 2001 the United Front gained control of much of the country and played a crucial role in establishing the post-Taliban interim government of Hamid Karzai in late 2001. After the September 11 attacks in the United States in 2001, the United Front succeeded in retaking Kabul from the Taliban with air support from US-led forces during Operation Enduring Freedom . Despite fears of
1320-477: The U.S. State Department confirms that "20–40 percent of [regular] Taliban soldiers are returned Afghans from Pakistani refugee camps". Human Rights Watch wrote in 2000: Of all the foreign powers involved in efforts to sustain and manipulate the ongoing fighting [in Afghanistan], Pakistan is distinguished both by the sweep of its objectives and the scale of its efforts, which include soliciting funding for
1386-798: The United Islamic National Front for the Salvation of Afghanistan ( Dari : جبهه متحد اسلامی ملی برای نجات افغانستان Jabha-ye Muttahid-e Islāmī-ye Millī barāye Najāt-e Afğānistān ), was a military alliance of groups that operated between early 1992 and 2001 following the dissolution of the Soviet Union . At that time, many non-Pashtun Northerners originally with the Republic of Afghanistan led by Mohammad Najibullah became disaffected with Pashtun Khalqist Afghan Army officers holding control over non-Pashtun militias in
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#17327800080711452-589: The Women's Rights Declaration. At the same time he was very wary not to revive the failed Kabul government of the early 1990s. Already in 1999 the United Front leadership ordered the training of police forces specifically to keep order and protect the civilian population in case the United Front would be successful. In early 2001 Ahmad Shah Massoud addressed the European Parliament in Brussels asking
1518-416: The international community to provide humanitarian help to the people of Afghanistan. He stated that the Taliban and Al Qaeda had introduced "a very wrong perception of Islam " and that without the support of Pakistan and Bin Laden the Taliban would not be able to sustain their military campaign for up to a year. On this visit to Europe he also warned that his intelligence had gathered information about
1584-535: The 1990s, Iran was the primary state sponsor of the Northern Alliance, along with India and Russia. By contrast, the Taliban were supported by Pakistan, Saudi Arabia and the UAE . Because of Indian influence in the Alliance, Pakistan feared a Northern Alliance victory would result in Pakistan's encirclement by India on one side and an Indian-allied Northern Alliance on the other. During the 1990s, Turkey also supported
1650-729: The Afghanistan Justice Project. Because of the chaos, some leaders increasingly had only nominal control over their (sub-)commanders. Human Rights Watch writes: Rare ceasefires, usually negotiated by representatives of Ahmad Shah Massoud , Sibghatullah Mojaddedi or Burhanuddin Rabbani [the interim government], or officials from the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), commonly collapsed within days. Meanwhile, southern Afghanistan
1716-630: The Afghanistan government forces to reclaim control of the northeastern province from the Taliban. International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) took over security responsibility of the area in the early 2000s, which was led by Germany . The province also began to see some developments and the establishment of Afghan National Security Forces (ANSF). In a small incident in July 2008, the Afghan National Police killed Mullah Usman when several armed Taliban militants under his command raided
1782-494: The North. Defectors such as Rashid Dostum and Abdul Momim allied with Ahmad Shah Massoud and Ali Mazari forming the Northern Alliance. The alliance's capture of Mazar-i-Sharif and more importantly the supplies kept there crippled the Afghan military and began the end of Najibullah's government. Following the collapse of Najibullah's government the Alliance would fall with a Second Civil War breaking out however following
1848-484: The Northern Alliance and the Taliban forces. Takhar holds notoriety as the location where Mujahideen Commander Ahmad Shah Massoud was assassinated on 9 September 2001 by suspected al-Qaeda agents. Following the September 11 attacks, commonly known as 9/11, and amidst the United States' intervention, General Mohamad Daud and General Shajahan Noori, both widely recognized figures, played instrumental roles in leading
1914-525: The Northern Alliance controlled less than 10% of the country, cornered in the north-east and based in Badakhshan province . The US invaded Afghanistan , providing support to Northern Alliance troops on the ground in a two-month war against the Taliban, which they won in December 2001. With the Taliban forced from control of the country, the Northern Alliance was dissolved as members and parties supported
1980-425: The Northern Alliance increased dramatically. Iran established an " airbridge " between Mashhad and the Afghan airbases of Bagram and Kulyab to ferry large quantities of arms to the Northern Alliance. For example, it was reported that on one day alone in 1997, 13 Iranian flights arrived at Bagram. In another instance, Iran was believed to have been found sending 700 tons of arms via Tajikistan. On August 1, 1997
2046-454: The Northern Alliance. Israel was initially not critical of the Taliban, as both governments opposed Iran, and the Mossad reached out to the Taliban. However, later, under pressure from United States and Turkey, Israel instead began reaching out to the Northern Alliance, even though it remained suspicious of the Alliance's pro-Iran position. Due to Indian backing of Karzai's administration and
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2112-581: The Security Council stated it was "deeply distress[ed] over reports of involvement in the fighting, on the Taliban side, of thousands of non-Afghan nationals". In July 2001, several countries including the United States, accused Pakistan of being "in violation of U.N. sanctions because of its military aid to the Taliban". In 2000, British Intelligence reported that the ISI was taking an active role in several Al Qaeda training camps. The ISI helped with
2178-577: The Taliban and their allies in 1998. Dostum subsequently went into exile. Ahmad Shah Massoud remained the only major anti-Taliban leader inside the country who was able to defend vast parts of his territory against the Pakistani Army, the Taliban and Al-Qaeda, not once leaving Afghanistan except for diplomatic purposes. The Taliban repeatedly offered Massoud money and a position of power to make him stop his resistance. Massoud declined. He explained in one interview: The Taliban say: "Come and accept
2244-694: The Taliban launched an attack on Sheberghan, the main military base of Abdul Rashid Dostum. Dostum has said the reason the attack was successful was due to 1500 Pakistani commandos taking part and that the Pakistani air force also gave support. In October to November 1998, the Northern Alliance used Iranian and Russian arms to recapture territory from the Taliban near the Uzbekistan and Tajikistan border. In 1998, Iran accused Pakistan of sending its air force to bomb Mazar-i-Sharif in support of Taliban forces and directly accused Pakistani troops for "war crimes at Bamiyan ". The same year Russia said that Pakistan
2310-495: The Taliban to Afghanistan. Between 1996 and 2001, the Northern Alliance blocked the Taliban and al-Qaeda from gaining control of the entirety of Afghanistan. Many internally displaced persons found shelter in areas controlled by Ahmad Shah Massoud. After the September 2001 attacks in the United States, U.S. air raids followed by ground troops of the United Front ousted the Taliban from power in Kabul. Between November and December 2001,
2376-420: The Taliban, bankrolling Taliban operations, providing diplomatic support as the Taliban's virtual emissaries abroad, arranging training for Taliban fighters, recruiting skilled and unskilled manpower to serve in Taliban armies, planning and directing offensives, providing and facilitating shipments of ammunition and fuel, and ... directly providing combat support. After Taliban captured Kabul, Iran's assistance to
2442-478: The Taliban. Many analysts like Amin Saikal describe the Taliban as developing into a proxy force for Pakistan's regional interests. On September 26, 1996, as the Taliban with military support by Pakistan and financial support by Saudi Arabia, prepared for another major offensive against the capital Kabul, Massoud ordered a full retreat from the city. The Taliban seized Kabul on September 27, 1996, and established
2508-521: The [Taliban] Ministry of Defense or to Mullah Omar himself". Al Qaeda's so-called 055 Brigade was also responsible for mass-killings of Afghan civilians. The report by the United Nations quotes eyewitnesses in many villages describing Arab fighters "carrying long knives used for slitting throats and skinning people". After longstanding battles especially for the northern city of Mazar-i-Sharif, Abdul Rashid Dostum and his Junbish-i Milli forces alongside allied Hezb-e Wahdat forces were defeated by
2574-526: The assassination of Massoud]. I don't like the way things are lining up in Afghanistan. ... I sense a shift, and I think things are going to happen. ... soon. O'Neill died the following day, when the south tower collapsed. After the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, United Front troops ousted the Taliban from power in Kabul with American air support in Operation Enduring Freedom , using intelligence reports offered by Iran during
2640-437: The bottom of Afghan society including the Pashtun areas. In total, estimates range up to one million people fleeing the Taliban. Many civilians fled to the area of Ahmad Shah Massoud . National Geographic concluded in its documentary "Inside the Taliban" : "The only thing standing in the way of future Taliban massacres is Ahmad Shah Massoud ". In the areas under his control Massoud set up democratic institutions and signed
2706-410: The central government's control. In late 1994, most of the militia factions which had been fighting in the battle for control of Kabul were defeated militarily by forces of the Islamic State's Minister of Defense Ahmad Shah Massoud . Bombardment of the capital came to a halt. The Islamic State government took steps to restore law and order. Courts started to work again. Massoud tried to initiate
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2772-561: The city of Mazar-i-Sharif under Dostum's control served as one of the Northern Alliance's headquarters, until the city was overrun in 1997. Under Massoud's control, Taloqan in Takhar Province , north of Panjshir, was the group's headquarters until September 5, 2000, when the city was taken by the Taliban and led to its base moving to Badakhshan Province . Massoud also maintained a private residence in Dushanbe , Tajikistan . It
2838-885: The construction of training camps for both the Taliban and Al Qaeda . From 1996 to 2001 the Al Qaeda of Osama bin Laden and Ayman al-Zawahiri became a state within the Taliban state. Bin Laden sent Arab and Central Asian Al-Qaeda militants to join the fight against the United Front among them his Brigade 055 . With the fall of Kabul to anti-Taliban forces in November 2001, ISI forces worked with and helped Taliban militias who were in full retreat. In November 2001, Taliban, Al-Qaeda combatants and ISI operatives were safely evacuated from Kunduz on Pakistan Air Force cargo aircraft to Pakistan Air Force bases in Chitral and Gilgit in Pakistan's Northern Areas in what has been dubbed
2904-460: The cost of Afghanistan's political and economic development, including the progress made in areas such as education and women's rights. Because NATO excluded the Karzai administration and the opposition leaders were excluded from secret talks with the Taliban, Karzai's political rhetoric was increasingly adjusted to Taliban demands, United Front leaders, and in late 2011, regrouped to oppose a return of
2970-486: The direct control of Massoud but remained under their respective regional or ethnic leaders. Military commanders of the United Front were either independent or belonged to one of the following political parties: Military commanders and subcommanders of the United Front included: The two main political candidates in the 2009 Afghan presidential election both worked for the United Front: Initially,
3036-954: The district is located within the Farkhar River basin and is the river's source. Warsaj is bordered by Farkhar District and Tagab District to the north, Yamgan District to the northeast, Kuran wa Munjan District to the east, Paryan District to the south, Khost wa Fereng District and Farang Wa Gharu District to the west, and Namak Ab District to the northwest. Paryan is located in Panjshir Province . Khost wa Farang and Farang Wa Gharu are located in Baghlan Province . Namak Ab and Farkhar are located in Takhar Province, with all other districts it borders in Badakhshan Province . The district
3102-509: The leadership of commanders such as Abdul Haq and Haji Abdul Qadir . Notable politicians and diplomats of the United Front included Abdul Rahim Ghafoorzai , Abdullah Abdullah and Masood Khalili . From the Taliban conquest of Kabul in September 1996 until November 2001 the United Front controlled roughly 30% of Afghanistan's population in provinces such as Badakhshan , Kapisa , Takhar and parts of Parwan , Kunar , Nuristan , Laghman , Samangan , Kunduz , Ghōr and Bamyan . Throughout
3168-590: The new Afghan Interim Administration , with some members later becoming part of the Karzai administration . Amidst the Fall of Kabul in 2021 , former Northern Alliance leaders and other anti-Taliban figures regrouped as the National Resistance Front of Afghanistan . The United Front was formed in late 1996 against the Taliban government by opposition factions. Since early 1999, Ahmad Shah Massoud
3234-426: The people now. They are weaker than in the past. There is only the assistance given by Pakistan, Osama bin Laden and other extremist groups that keep the Taliban on their feet. With a halt to that assistance, it is extremely difficult to survive. In early 2001 the United Front employed a new strategy of local military pressure and global political appeals. Resentment was increasingly gathering against Taliban rule from
3300-404: The post of prime minister and be with us", and they would keep the highest office in the country, the presidentship. But for what price?! The difference between us concerns mainly our way of thinking about the very principles of the society and the state. We can not accept their conditions of compromise, or else we would have to give up the principles of modern democracy. We are fundamentally against
3366-491: The region. The Takcha Khanna salt mine is one of the growing number of salt supplier, for the population of Takhar and northern Afghanistan. While the mines offer economic opportunities in the region, the availability of iodized salt considerably reduces the prevalence of health problems related to iodine deficiency. Northern Alliance Non-state opponents: The Northern Alliance ( Dari : ائتلاف شمال E'tilāf Šumāl or اتحاد شمال Ettehād Šumāl ), officially known as
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#17327800080713432-548: The region. The local population considers gold the most relevant resource for the Province. Gold is being washed in Takhar River, and about 2 kg are being transported to the specific weekly markets in the city of Taloqan. Also the city is a main source of construction materials like: loam, sand, and different types of stones. Takhar province is known for its salt mountains and you can find large deposits of fine salt in
3498-441: The supply lines in the North, Najibullah replaced General Abdul Momim , an ethnic Tajik , with General Rasul, a Pashtun Khalqi known for being the brutal commander of Pul-e-Charkhi . Momim refused to step down, he and ethnic Uzbek , General Rashid Dostum defected and allied with Ahmad Shah Massoud and Ali Mazari forming the Northern Alliance. The alliance would take the city of Mazar-i Sharif on March 19, 1992 and launching
3564-404: The support of the Northern Alliance in the early days of the war. With both nations seeking to increase or maintain their regional power through opposing factions on the ground, observers came to view the conflict in Afghanistan as a proxy-war between the two state powers. From 2002 to 2004, war activity in Afghanistan was relatively calm. By 2006, however, with the support of Pakistan and Iran,
3630-488: The system called "the Emirate of Afghanistan". There should be an Afghanistan where every Afghan finds himself or herself happy. And I think that can only be assured by democracy based on consensus. Massoud wanted to convince the Taliban to join a political process leading towards democratic elections in a foreseeable future. He also stated: The Taliban are not a force to be considered invincible. They are distanced from
3696-474: The three Anglo-Afghan wars that were fought in the 19th and early 20th centuries. It was established in 1964 when Qataghan Province was divided into three provinces: Baghlan, Kunduz and Takhar. During the 1980s Soviet–Afghan War , the area fell under the influence of Rabbani and Ahmad Shah Massoud . It was controlled by the Northern Alliance in the 1990s. It experienced some fighting between
3762-442: The total population of the province is about 1,113,173 which is mostly tribal and a rural society. The main inhabitants of Takhar province are majority Tajiks and Uzbeks with a sizeable Pashtun minority. Other smaller ethnic groups include Hazaras , Gujars and Balochi . Agriculture and mining are the main industries of the province. Takhar has coal reserves which are being exploited by hand in some villages and sold in
3828-434: The two militias soon escalated into a full-scale war. Due to the sudden initiation of the war, working government departments, police units or a system of justice and accountability for the newly created Islamic State of Afghanistan did not have time to form. Atrocities were committed by individuals of the different armed factions while Kabul descended into lawlessness and chaos as described in reports by Human Rights Watch and
3894-522: The water supply at the Rostaq district 's school for girls was poisoned by unknown insurgents, sickening at least 140 Afghan schoolgirls and teachers ranging in age from 14 to 30, causing them to be hospitalized and some to partially lose consciousness, though there were no deaths as a result of the incident. During the 2021 Taliban offensive, Takhar Province experienced attacks as the withdrawal of US troops took place. In response, Mohibullah Noori emerged as
3960-647: Was a counter-terrorism expert and the Assistant Director of the FBI until late 2001. He retired from the FBI and was offered the position of director of security at the World Trade Center (WTC). He took the job at the WTC two weeks before 9/11. On September 10, 2001, John O'Neill told two of his friends, We're due. And we're due for something big. ... Some things have happened in Afghanistan [referring to
4026-682: Was backing the Shia Hazara Hezb-e Wahdat forces of Abdul Ali Mazari in order to "maximize Wahdat's military power and influence". Saudi Arabia supported the Wahhabite Abdul Rasul Sayyaf and his Ittehad-e Islami faction. A publication by the George Washington University describes: [O]utside forces saw instability in Afghanistan as an opportunity to press their own security and political agendas. Conflict between
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#17327800080714092-564: Was first mapped in 1998 by AIMS . The district has been under control of the Afghan Government during the Taliban insurgency . The BBC classified Warsaj as under "full government control" in mid to late 2017, and SIGAR classified it as "government influenced" in December 2018. Around 10,000 votes have been cast in the district in both 2018 and 2019. About 40 militants surrendered in Warsaj on 14 September 2019. The district has
4158-524: Was responsible for the military expansion of the Taliban in northern Afghanistan by sending large numbers of Pakistani troops, some of whom had subsequently been taken as prisoners by the anti-Taliban United Front. In 2000, the UN Security Council imposed an arms embargo against military support to the Taliban, with UN officials explicitly singling out Pakistan. The UN secretary-general implicitly criticized Pakistan for its military support and
4224-440: Was the only main leader able to defend his territory against the Taliban, and as such remained as the main de facto political and military leader of the United Front recognized by members of all the different ethnic groups. Massoud decided on the main political line and the general military strategy of the alliance. A part of the United Front military factions, such as Junbish-i Milli or Hezb-e Wahdat , however, did not fall under
4290-500: Was there where Massoud would meet international diplomatic staff who supported the Northern Alliance. During the early 1990s the Najibullah regime funded pro government militias all over the country in order to fight the mujahedeen insurgency however Najibullah, an ethnic Pashtun began to mistrust the mostly non-Pashtun militias in the north many of whom had ties to Ahmad Shah Massoud . In an effort to reassert his control over
4356-462: Was under the control of local leaders not affiliated with the central government in Kabul. In 1994, the Taliban – a movement originating from Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam –run religious schools for Afghan refugees in Pakistan – also developed in Afghanistan as a politico-religious force. In November 1994 they took control of the southern city of Kandahar and subsequently expanded their control into several provinces in southern and central Afghanistan not under
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