Battle of Lashkargah

This article is about the 2021 battle. For the friendly fire incident near Lashkargah, see Friendly fire incident at Sangin.

Battle of Lashkargah
Part of the 2021 Taliban offensive
Date29 July – 13 August 2021
(2 weeks and 1 day)
Location
Lashkargah, Helmand Province, Afghanistan
31°34′59″N 64°22′9″E / 31.58306°N 64.36917°E / 31.58306; 64.36917
Result Taliban victory
Belligerents
 Taliban  Afghanistan
 United States
Commanders and leaders
Abdul-Ahad Talib[1]
(Taliban commander)
Mawlawi Mubarak  †[2]
(Red Group commander)		 Islamic Republic of Afghanistan Sami Sadat[3]
(Commander of 215th 'Maiwand' Corps)
Islamic Republic of Afghanistan Ezzatullah Tofan[4]
(Border soldiers commander)
Units involved
Strength
Unknown Unknown
Casualties and losses
5,000+ casualties[6] (Afghan government claim, denied by Taliban)[7] Unknown casualties
1,500 surrendered[8]
Civilian casualties: 104+ killed, 403+ injured[9]
Battle of Lashkargah is located in Afghanistan
Battle of Lashkargah
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Location within Afghanistan

The Battle of Lashkargah was fought between the Afghan National Security Forces (ANSF) and the Taliban for control of the city of Lashkargah. The United States supported Afghan forces with airstrikes.[5] The fighting started in late July 2021, and clashes occurred around the governor's residence, NDS headquarters, police headquarters, and prison. The police headquarters was captured by the Taliban on 12 August 2021, and the last government forces evacuated or surrendered in the night from 12 to 13 August 2021.[10] More than 40 civilians were also killed in the fortnight-long fighting.

  1. ^ Moiz, Ibrahim (5 October 2021). "How the Afghan Taliban achieved their takeover of Afghanistan". The Express Tribune.
  2. ^ a b "Key Taliban commander among 40 dead in Afghanistan". lokmat. 6 August 2021. Retrieved 14 August 2021.
  3. ^ Sadat, Sami (25 August 2021). "I Commanded Afghan Troops This Year. We Were Betrayed". The New York Times. Retrieved 25 August 2021.
  4. ^ a b c Gibbons-Neff, Thomas; Abed, Fahim; Hassan, Sharif (13 August 2021). "The Afghan Military Was Built Over 20 Years. How Did It Collapse So Quickly?". The New York Times. Retrieved 15 August 2021.
  5. ^ a b Seldin, Jeff (10 August 2021). "Pentagon: US Airstrikes in Afghanistan 'Having an Effect' on Taliban | Voice of America - English". www.voanews.com. Retrieved 12 August 2021.
  6. ^ https://www.realcleardefense.com/articles/2024/08/31/we_will_fight_the_taliban_again_1055376.html
  7. ^ AKHGAR, TAMEEM (4 August 2021). "Airstrikes pummel Taliban positions in southern Afghanistan". AP NEWS.
  8. ^ Bunkall, Alistair (14 August 2021). "Afghanistan: Taliban fighters take southern city of Lashkar Gah following capture of Kandahar and Herat2". Sky News. Retrieved 15 August 2021.
  9. ^ George, Susannah (8 August 2021). "Pace of Taliban advance quickens as militants overrun three major cities in a single day". Washington Post.
  10. ^ Birsel, Robert (13 August 2021). "Taliban capture Afghanistan's Lashkar Gah, capital of Helmand - police official". Reuters. Retrieved 13 August 2021.