Afghan Civil War

The Afghan Civil War was a series of conflicts among Afghan factions after the Soviet withdrawal and the collapse of the communist government, beginning in 1992.

Soviet–Afghan War: A war fought from 1979 to 1989 between Soviet forces and the Afghan government they supported, and insurgent mujahideen. The conflict left armed factions, foreign patrons, and weakened institutions that shaped the civil war.
Kabul: The capital and largest city of Afghanistan, situated in the east of the country. Control of the capital became a central objective, and shelling devastated its neighborhoods.
Abdul Rashid Dostum: An Uzbek Afghan military leader who commanded forces that shifted alliances during the civil wars and later joined the Northern Alliance. His changing alignment altered the balance of power around Kabul.
Kabul's destruction (1992–1996): The extensive damage to Kabul caused by factional fighting and bombardment between 1992 and 1996. The capital's destruction became the conflict's most visible humanitarian and urban consequence.
Soviet invasion of Afghanistan: The Soviet Union's military intervention in Afghanistan, launched in December 1979 to support the country's communist government. Unlike the post-1992 civil war, it pitted Soviet forces against Afghan insurgents and their government.
Soviet withdrawal from Afghanistan: The withdrawal of Soviet troops from Afghanistan, completed in February 1989. It ended direct Soviet military involvement without resolving the Afghan struggle for power.
Burhanuddin Rabbani: An Afghan politician and leader of Jamiat-e Islami who served as president from 1992 to 1996 and again briefly in 2001. His presidency became the focus of armed opposition after the power-sharing settlement unraveled.
Abdul Ali Mazari: An Afghan Hazara political and military leader who headed Hezb-e Wahdat during the civil war. His party fought for Hazara political power and became entangled in Kabul's factional battles.
Taliban: An Afghan Islamist movement that captured Kabul in 1996 and governed most of Afghanistan until 2001. It emerged amid war fatigue and fragmented rule, then defeated many factions.
War in Afghanistan (2001–2021): A war beginning with the US-led invasion of Afghanistan in 2001 and continuing through the withdrawal of foreign forces in 2021. It followed the civil war's Taliban victory and involved a US-led international military campaign.

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