United States invasion of Afghanistan

Battle context

The U.S.-led invasion of Afghanistan, launched on 7 October 2001 in direct response to the September 11 attacks, marked the opening phase of what became a 20-year conflict. Its stated objectives were the dismantlement of al-Qaeda and the removal of the Taliban government that had provided al-Qaeda a base of operations. The United Kingdom joined as a primary coalition partner from the outset, alongside a broad multinational force. The invasion fundamentally reversed the military balance inside Afghanistan: the Northern Alliance, which had been losing ground to the Taliban since 1996 and had been confined largely to Badakhshan province and adjacent areas, was rapidly bolstered by American military support. At the time of the invasion, the Taliban controlled roughly 85 percent of Afghan territory, including Kabul. Coalition intervention effectively broke Taliban territorial dominance and ended the group's hold on the capital, setting the conditions for the post-Taliban political order. The operation also initiated the longer counterterrorism campaign that would define U.S. strategic priorities for the following two decades.