2021 in Afghanistan

← 2020 2019 2018 2021 in Afghanistan → 2022 2023 2024
Decades:	2000s 2010s 2020s
See also:	Other events of 2021 List of years in Afghanistan

2021 (MMXXI) was a common year starting on Friday (dominical letter C) of the Gregorian calendar, the 2021st year of the Common Era (CE) and Anno Domini (AD) designations, the 21st year of the 3rd millennium, the 21st year of the 21st century, and the 2nd year of the 2020s decade.

Year 2021 in Afghanistan is marked with a major offensive from the Taliban and the Taliban capturing Kabul.

Incumbents

Photo	Post	Name
100px	Amir al-Mu'minin	Hibatullah Akhundzada

Photo	Post	Name
100px	President of Afghanistan	Ashraf Ghani
	Chief Executive	Vacant
	Speaker of Wolesi Jirga	Mir Rahman Rahmani

Events

January - March

• 1 January - Journalist and human rights activist Bismillah Aimaq is shot dead in the province of Ghor.
• 5 January - Afghan delegates meet with Taliban leaders in Doha, Qatar, to reopen peace talks.
• 30 March - Three polio vaccine workers are killed by gunmen in Jalalabad, Nangarhar Province.

April - June

• 13 April - President of United States Joe Biden announces plans to withdraw U.S troops from Afghanistan by 11 September.
• 30 April - At least 30 are killed and more than 90 are wounded by an explosion outside a guesthouse in Puli Alam, Logar Province.
• 1 May - The 2021 Taliban offensive begins.
• 2 May - The Taliban threatens further attacks as the deadline for withdrawal passes 1 May, when previous US President Donald Trump said US forces would withdraw from Afghanistan.
• 6 May
  • High-profile Afghan reporter Newat Rawan is shot dead by unidentified assailant in Kandahar.
  • Taliban fighters capture Afghanistan's second largest dam and key army bases as their insurgency intensifies across the country.
• 8 May - A car bomb and two other improvised explosive devices explode outside a secondary school in the Dashte Barchi neighborhood in western Kabul, killing at least 68 people, most of whom were students.
• 14 May - At least 12 worshippers are killed when a ISIL-KP bomb explodes inside a mosque in Kabul.
• 1 June - Multiple explosions targeting ethnic Hazaras killed at least 12.
• 8 June - The government announces that the COVID-19 pandemic situation in the country is under control.
• 17 June - The Taliban capture Dawlat Abad District, killing at least 24 Afghan commandos and five police officers in the process.
• 30 June - The Taliban capture 700 trucks and Humvees from the Afghan National Army as more districts fall under the group's control during their offensive in the north.

July - September

• 2 July - Germany and Italy withdraw their troops from Afghanistan. U.S. troops leave Bagram Airfield, handing it to the Afghan Armed Forces.
• 3 July - More than 1,000 Afghan border guards and soldiers cross the state border with Tajikistan to flee from Taliban forces. According to Tajik authorities Hohon, Shahri Buzurg and Rogiston county of Badakhshan Province fell to the Taliban. Tajik forces allow the retreating Afghan servicemen to cross into their territory.
• 22 July - At least 100 people are massacred in a mass shooting in Spin Boldak District, Kandahar Province.
• 3 August - A suspected Taliban suicide car bomber and gunmen attack the house of Afghan Defence Minister Bismillah Khan Mohammadi, killing 13 people, including five attackers. Mohammadi was unharmed in the attack.
• 6 August - Zaranj, the capital of Nimruz, is captured by Taliban militants after fierce fighting in the region.
• 7 August - The Taliban seizes Sheberghan, the capital of Jowzjan Province.
• 8 August - Taliban capture provincial capital of Sar-e-Pol, Kunduz and Taloqan as fighting rages across the country.
• 9 August - Taliban fighters seize provincial capital of Aybak.
• 10 August - Taliban fighters capture provincial capitals of Farah and Puli Khumri.
• 11 August
  • Afghan government replaces army chief General Wali Mohammad.
  • President Ashraf Ghani fly to Mazar-i-Sharif and holds talks with local Uzbeks and Tajiks figures.
  • Fayzabad, capital of Badakhshan Province, is seized by the Taliban.
• 12 August - Taliban capture provincial capital of Ghazni. Afghanistan's third largest city, Herat, also fell to the insurgents. The country's second-largest city, Kandahar, was later seized by the group.
• 13 August
  • Capital of Helmand Province, Lashkar Gah, fell to the Taliban. The insurgents also captured Qalati Ghilji, Terenkot, Puli Alam, Feruz Koh and Qal-e-Naw. As of 13 August, a total of 18 provincial capitals have been seized by Taliban.
  • Finland, Denmark and Switzerland announced plans to withdraw their consulate workers amidst advancing Taliban fighters.
  • United Kingdom announces Operation Pitting which goal is to evacuate its citizens out of Afghanistan.
• 14 August
  • President Ashraf Ghani addresses the nation as Taliban makes rapid gain.
  • United States announces that it will deploy 3,000 troops to Afghanistan to help evacuation process from the country. Additional 5,000 troops will also be deployed.
  • Mazar-i-Sharif, last anti-Taliban stronghold in Northern Afghanistan, is captured by Taliban, signifying near collapse of Afghan government control in the north. Taliban also capture the provincial capital of Asadabad, Gardez, Maymana, Mihtarlam, Nili and Sharana. More than half of the country's provinces have been seized by the insurgents.
• 15 August
  • Taliban captures Kabul with little resistance, marking the beginning of Taliban rule over Afghanistan.
• 26 August
  • 2021 Kabul airport attacks - Multiple explosions go off on gates outside Hamid Karzai International Airport. At least 13 are killed and at least 60 are injured.
  • The Panjshir conflict ends with a ceasefire after 10 days ending the over 40 year conflict and finally bring peace to Afghanistan.

See also

• 2021 Taliban offensive
• History of Afghanistan
• Outline of Afghanistan
• Politics of Afghanistan
• Government of Afghanistan
• COVID-19 pandemic in Afghanistan
• 2020s in political history