Anwar Dangar

Anwar Dangar
احمد دانگر
BornShakar Dara, Kabul province, Afghanistan
Died2004
Pakistan
AllegianceJamiat-e Islami, Taliban
RankCommander
Battles / warsAfshar Operation

Anwar Dangar was a commander from Shakar-Darrah (Shakar Dara), which is located approximately 25 kilometres north of Kabul, and was an ally of Burhanuddin Rabbani's Jamiat-e-Islami.[1] He was reported involved in the planning of the Afshar Operation which resulted in the deaths of hundreds of civilians and furthermore he is said to have directly lead troops into the battle.[2]

As a Pashtu speaker it was reported on 17 October 1996 that he joined, along with his forces, the Taliban. However within a few days he deserted and on Massoud's orders recaptured Shakar-Darrah. A report in August 1997 claims that the Taliban "primarily" blamed their military "setbacks" north of Kabul on the betrayal of Dangar, who they claimed had let Massoud fighters into Charikar, and other commanders.[3]

It was reported that 5 March 2001 he was wounded by unknown gunmen.[4]

Following the victory of the Taliban, Dangar joined the Taliban and stayed there following their collapse in 2001. He was listed as one of the 12 most wanted Taliban commanders.[5] He was reported to be in the Pakistani city of Peshawar, trying to bring together escaped commanders.[6] According to another report he was in charge of the Taliban in the three central provinces of Parwan, Kapisa, Wardak, and Kabul where he had considerable local support.[7]

Anwar was reportedly assassinated in Pakistan in 2004.[8]

  1. ^ Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada, Afghanistan: The role of Commander Anwar Dangur (Dangar) in the Jamiat-e-Islami in Kabul, and subsequently in the Taliban, which he joined following the 27 September 1996 Taliban conquest of the capital, 1 April 1998, AFG29150.E, available at: http://www.unhcr.org/refworld/docid/3ae6ab2364.html [accessed 24 November 2009]
  2. ^ Afghanistan Justice Project. "Casting Shadows: War Crimes and Crimes Against Humanity, 1978-2001." 2005. Accessed at: http://www.afghanistanjusticeproject.org/ [Accessed on 10 November 2009]
  3. ^ Afghanistan News Service 2 August 1997
  4. ^ UN Security Council, The situation in Afghanistan and its implications for international peace and security Report of the Secretary-General, 19 April 2001, S/2001/384, available at: http://www.unhcr.org/refworld/docid/3aefcb7a4.html [accessed 24 November 2009]
  5. ^ Palmer, James. "Afghan troops prepare for attack on Mullah Omar's 'mountain hideout'" 18 December 2001. Accessed at: [1][dead link]
  6. ^ India News Online. Afghanistan: Karzai takes over: Fall of Tora Bora. Accessed at: [2]
  7. ^ Korgun, Victor. "Afghanistan's Resurgent Taliban." The Jamestown Foundation. 24 October 2003. Accessed at: http://www.jamestown.org/single/?no_cache=1&tx_ttnews[tt_news]=18975
  8. ^ Giustozzi, Antonio. "Koran, Kalashnikov and Laptop." HURST Publishers, Ltd. London. (1996), pg 90.