KABUL: The Soviet invasion of Afghanistan 40 years ago kicked off decades of war that endured long after the Red Army’s retreat, which ended on February 15, 1989. 2001: US-led invasionIn October 2001 the United States leads an invasion of Afghanistan in retaliation for the September 11 attacks on Washington and New York blamed on al Qaeda. The Taliban go into hiding or flee to neighbouring countries and then launch an insurgency against Kabul and NATO. Some NATO soldiers remain to carry out anti-terrorist operations and train Afghan forces. The Taliban continue to make gains while carrying out major deadly attacks, as the Deash group begins to make inroads in Afghanistan in 2015.

Source: Pakistan Today February 12, 2019 05:26 UTC