2021 Taliban Offensive: 2021 military offensive by the Taliban causing the fall of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan

It happened around the same time as the withdrawal of most U.S. troops from Afghanistan.

2021 Taliban offensive
Part of the War in Afghanistan and the Taliban insurgency
A map of Afghanistan showing the Taliban offensive (7 Aug 2021)
Date 1 May 2021 – 15 August 2021 (3 months and 2 weeks) Location Afghanistan Territorial changes Taliban captures 148 districts increasing the number of districts it controls in Afghanistan to 224
Belligerents
Taliban Haqqani network Al-Qaeda Supported by: Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) Lashkar-e-Taiba Jaish-e-Mohammed Harkat-ul-Mujahideen	Islamic Republic of Afghanistan  United States
Commanders and leaders
Hibatullah Akhundzada Abdul Ghani Baradar Sirajuddin Haqqani Mohammad Yaqoob	Ashraf Ghani Abdullah Abdullah Bismillah Khan Mohammadi Ahmad Massoud Joe Biden Gen. Mark Milley Gen. Kenneth McKenzie
Units involved
Taliban forces Red Unit Martyrdom Battalion Badri 313 Battalion Defected local militias Other militant groups Al-Qaeda in the Indian Subcontinent (AQIS)	Afghan security forces Afghan National Army Commandos Afghan National Police Afghan Air Force Pro-government militias Public Uprising Forces United States Air Force United States Navy USS Ronald Reagan
Casualties and losses
Taliban 9,819+ killed (Afghan government claim) Equipment: Unknown number of artillery gun and military vehicles destroyed	Afghanistan 1,537 killed 1,581+ deserted Hundreds of troops surrendered Equipment: 1 Mil Mi-17 shot down 1 UH-60 Black Hawk damaged At least 700 trucks and Humvees captured by Taliban At least 17 D-30 howitzers and several mortars captured by Taliban At least 65 military vehicles destroyed by Taliban 2 T-54/T-62 tanks captured by Taliban 3 anti-aircraft guns captured by Taliban
1,031 civilians killed 1,609 civilians injured

The offensive is known for the quick territorial gains of the Taliban, as well as its domestic and international problems.

By 15 July, over a third of Afghanistan's 421 districts were controlled by the Taliban, and by 21 July, half of Afghanistan was under Taliban control.

On 22 July, the British Foreign Office's reports said that the Afghan military could fall apart and the Taliban could soon return to power in Kabul as a result of of NATO soldiers' withdrawal. The Foreign Office's report said that the British embassy in Kabul might need to close. The British Foreign Secretary, Dominic Raab, believed that Kabul would be safe for the whole of 2021.

On 10 August, U.S. officials said that the Afghan capital, Kabul, could fall to the Taliban within 30 to 90 days. On 15 August, the Associated Press reported that the Taliban had reached and captured Kabul. This caused the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan's government to fall. The Taliban said that they were awaiting a "transfer" of power. On 15 August, following the near seizure of the capital, the Taliban occupied the Presidential Palace after the incumbent President Ashraf Ghani fled the country.