Afghan Civil War (1992–1996)
The Afghan Civil War was going on from 1992 to 1996.
War over Kabul (28 April 1992–93)[change | change source]
Fighting over Kabul started on 25 April 1992. The six armies fighting were Hezb-e Islami Gulbuddin, Jamiat-e Islami, Harakat-i-Inqilab-i-Islami, Ittehad-e Islami, Hezb-i Wahdat and Junbish-i Milli. Mujahideen warlord Gulbuddin Hekmatyar, the leader of Hezb-e Islami Gulbuddin, was offered the position of prime minister in President Mujaddidi's government - an interim. But this agreement was broken on 29 May when Mujaddidi accused Hekmatyar of having rockets fired at his airplane.[1]
By 30 May 1992, Jamiat-e Islami and Junbish-i Milli mujahideen forces were fighting against Hekmatyar's Hezb-e Islami Gulbuddin again in southern Kabul.
In May[2] or early June, Hekmatyar's forces started [ firing cannons and grenade launcher toward targets] all around Kabul.[1][3] Much support came from the Pakistani Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI).[2] Junbish-i Milli and Jamiat-e Islami in June shelled [or fired cannons and grenade launchers toward targets in] areas south of Kabul. Ittehad-e Islami and Hezb-i Wahdat were fighting each other in west Kabul. At the end of June 1992, Burhanuddin Rabbani took over as (acting or) interim president of Afghanistan.[1] That government was weak, even from its start in April 1992.[4]
In the rest of 1992, hundreds of rockets hit Kabul, thousands, mostly civilians, were killed, half a million people fled the city. In 1993, the rivalling militia factions continued their fights over Kabul, several cease-fires and peace accords failed. According to Human Rights Watch, in the period 1992–95, five different mujahideen armies contributed to heavily damaging Kabul,[5][6] though other analysts blame especially the Hezb-e Islami Gulbuddin group.[2][7]
Taliban take-over[change | change source]
On 25 September, the strategic town[8] of Sarobi, an eastern outpost of Kabul, fell to the Taliban[9] who captured it from interim government troops.[8] 50 people were killed and the Taliban captured many arms from fleeing government soldiers.[8]
On 26 September, with the Taliban attacking Kabul,[8] interim minister of defense Ahmad Shah Massoud in his headquarters in northern Kabul concluded that his and President Rabbani’s interim government's forces had been encircled,[9] and decided to quickly evacuate[9] or withdraw[8] those forces to the north,[9][8] to avoid destruction.[9] Also Hekmatyar, leader of Hezb-e Islami Gulbuddin, withdrew from Kabul.[8]
By nightfall,[9] or on the next day of 27 September,[8] the Taliban had conquered Kabul.[9][8] Taliban's leader Muhammad Umar appointed his deputy, Mullah Muhammad Rabbani, as head of a national ruling council which was called Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan.[8] By now, the Taliban controlled most of Afghanistan.[10]
Related pages[change | change source]
References[change | change source]
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 Sifton, John (6 July 2005). Blood-Stained Hands: Past Atrocities in Kabul and Afghanistan's Legacy of Impunity (ch. III, Battle for Kabul 1992-93) (Report). Human Rights Watch.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 Saikal (2004), p. 352.
- ↑ [dead link] Kent, Arthur (9 September 2007). "Warnings About al Qaeda Ignored By The West". SKY Reporter. Archived from the original on 2 February 2013.
- ↑ "The Peshawar Accord, April 25, 1992". Website photius.com. Text from 1997, purportedly sourced on The Library of Congress Country Studies (USA) and CIA World Factbook. Retrieved 22 December 2017.
- ↑ "Afghanistan: The massacre in Mazar-i Sharif. (Chapter II: Background)". Human Rights Watch. November 1998. Archived from the original on 2 November 2008. Retrieved 2 March 2020.
- ↑ Sifton, John (6 July 2005). Blood-Stained Hands: Past Atrocities in Kabul and Afghanistan's Legacy of Impunity (ch. III, Battle for Kabul 1992-93; see under § Violations of International Humanitarian Law) (Report). Human Rights Watch. Retrieved 2 March 2020.
- ↑ Jamilurrahman, Kamgar (2000). Havadess-e Tarikhi-e Afghanistan 1990–1997. Peshawar Markaz-e Nashrati. translation by Human Rights Watch. Meyvand. pp. 66–68.
- ↑ 8.00 8.01 8.02 8.03 8.04 8.05 8.06 8.07 8.08 8.09 Afghanistan: Chronology of Events January 1995 - February 1997 (PDF) (Report). Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada. February 1997.
- ↑ 9.0 9.1 9.2 9.3 9.4 9.5 9.6 Coll (2004), p. 14.
- ↑ Country profile: Afghanistan (published August 2008) (page 3). Library of Congress. Retrieved 13 February 2018.