The Fall of Herat was a battle and subsequent capture of
Herat
Herāt (; Persian: ) is an oasis city and the third-largest city of Afghanistan. In 2020, it had an estimated population of 574,276, and serves as the capital of Herat Province, situated south of the Paropamisus Mountains (''Selseleh-ye Safēd ...
by
Taliban
The Taliban (; ps, طالبان, ṭālibān, lit=students or 'seekers'), which also refers to itself by its state (polity), state name, the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan, is a Deobandi Islamic fundamentalism, Islamic fundamentalist, m ...
fighters. The attack on the city started around 28 July 2021, and ended in Taliban victory by 13 August of the same year. Several of the surrounding
districts
A district is a type of administrative division that, in some countries, is managed by the local government. Across the world, areas known as "districts" vary greatly in size, spanning regions or counties, several municipalities, subdivisions o ...
fell to the Taliban from June to mid July, leaving only the city and two other districts in government hands by 10 July. The border crossings in
Herat Province
Herat (Persian: ) is one of the thirty-four provinces of Afghanistan, located in the north-western part of the country. Together with Badghis, Farah, and Ghor provinces, it makes up the north-western region of Afghanistan. Its primary city and ...
were captured by the Taliban on 9 July, raising prices of goods inside the city.
Ismail Khan
Mohammad Ismail Khan (Dari/Pashto: محمد اسماعیل خان) (born 1946) is an Afghan former politician who served as Minister of Energy and Water from 2005 to 2013 and before that served as the governor of Herat Province. Originally a cap ...
, former governor and warlord, led a public uprising force to assist the
Afghan National Security Forces in defending the city.
After fighting started in the city around the end of July, the Taliban launched a significant attack on 30 July, shutting down the
Herat International Airport
, image = Plane of Pamir Airways at Herat Airport in 2010.jpg
, image-width = 250px
, caption = A Pamir Airways parked at the airport in 2010
, IATA = HEA
, ICAO = OAHR
, type = Public/Military
, owner ...
and temporarily taking the road leading to the airport. A few days later, some Heratis chanted "Allahu Akbar" (God is Great) in support of the government forces. The Taliban insurgents launched another significant attack on the city on 12 August, taking the city by night after a two-week siege. Fall of the city forced Ismail Khan and other top government officials to retreat to the provincial airport and the army corps headquarters outside the city. The next day Ismail Khan and other senior security officials including a deputy for the interior ministry, an army corps commander and an intelligence director, along with thousands of government forces, surrendered to the Taliban.
Background
Simultaneously with the
withdrawal of most United States troops from Afghanistan, the Taliban had increased the intensity of their offensive in Afghanistan, taking at least 50
districts
A district is a type of administrative division that, in some countries, is managed by the local government. Across the world, areas known as "districts" vary greatly in size, spanning regions or counties, several municipalities, subdivisions o ...
in May and June 2021. It seemed like the Taliban were capturing districts around provincial capitals, preparing to capture them once foreign forces left. At the end of June 2021, the
Italian military
The Italian Armed Forces ( it, Forze armate italiane, ) encompass the Italian Army, the Italian Navy and the Italian Air Force. A fourth branch of the armed forces, known as the Carabinieri, take on the role as the nation's military police and ar ...
pulled out from a base by Herat, allegedly destroying military equipment and not leaving any for the
Afghan National Army
Afghan may refer to:
*Something of or related to Afghanistan, a country in Southern-Central Asia
* Afghans, people or citizens of Afghanistan, typically of any ethnicity
**Afghan (ethnonym), the historic term applied strictly to people of the Pas ...
. At that time, control of
Herat International Airport
, image = Plane of Pamir Airways at Herat Airport in 2010.jpg
, image-width = 250px
, caption = A Pamir Airways parked at the airport in 2010
, IATA = HEA
, ICAO = OAHR
, type = Public/Military
, owner ...
was also handed over to Afghan forces. The last Italian troops arrived back in
Italy
Italy ( it, Italia ), officially the Italian Republic, ) or the Republic of Italy, is a country in Southern Europe. It is located in the middle of the Mediterranean Sea, and its territory largely coincides with the homonymous geographical re ...
late 29 June 2021.
Fall of districts in Herat Province
In January 2019,
SIGAR
The name Sigar can refer to four people in Scandinavian mythology, surrounding the legends of Sigurd the dragon slayer. One of them only appears as the friend of Helgi Hjörvarðsson in the eddic lay ''Helgakviða Hjörvarðssonar''. The other ...
considered all but one district of
Herat Province
Herat (Persian: ) is one of the thirty-four provinces of Afghanistan, located in the north-western part of the country. Together with Badghis, Farah, and Ghor provinces, it makes up the north-western region of Afghanistan. Its primary city and ...
,
Shindand District
Shinḍanḍ District ( ps, شينډنډ) is located in the southern part of Herat Province in Afghanistan, bordering Adraskan District to the north, Ghor Province to the east and Farah Province to the south and west. It is one of the 16 districts ...
, to be either under government control or government influenced (between government control and contested). On 11 June 2021, the Taliban claimed to have captured
Farsi District
Farsi ( fa, ولایت فارسی) is a district the west of Herat Province, Afghanistan. It borders on Obe District to the north, Adraskan District to the west, Shindand District to the south and Ghor Province to the south and east. The popul ...
to the southwest of the city. 6 days later
Obe District
Obe is a district in the northeast of Herat Province, Afghanistan. It borders on the north with Badghis Province, on the east with Chishti sharif District, on the southeast with Farsi District
Farsi ( fa, ولایت فارسی) is a district ...
, which is directly north of Farsi District, fell to Herat's west. By 6 July,
Ghoryan District to Herat's east on the border with
Iran
Iran, officially the Islamic Republic of Iran, and also called Persia, is a country located in Western Asia. It is bordered by Iraq and Turkey to the west, by Azerbaijan and Armenia to the northwest, by the Caspian Sea and Turkmeni ...
was under Taliban control, along with
Chishti Sharif District to the west.
On 9 July, the Taliban captured eight districts of Herat Province and two major border towns,
Islam Qala
Islām Qala (Persian/Pashto: اسلام قلعه, also ''Eslām Qalʿeh''), known historically as Kafir Qala, is a border town in the western Herat province of Afghanistan, near the Afghanistan–Iran border. It is the official entry by land from n ...
and
Torghundi
Torghundi, also spelled Turghundi or Towrgondi ( ps, تورغونډۍ, translit=Tōrghūnḍəi, tk, Torghundi), is a border town in northern Herat Province of Afghanistan. The town's main attraction is the Torghundi custom house and border che ...
I, in a 24 hour period.
Islam Qala is from Herat and is one of the main border crossings to Iran, bringing in 1.5 billion
Afghani annually for the
Islamic Republic of Afghanistan
The Islamic Republic of Afghanistan was a presidential republic that ruled Afghanistan from 2004 to 2021. The state was established to replace the Afghan interim (2001–2002) and transitional (2002–2004) administrations, which were formed ...
. Soldiers fled to Iran for safety. Torghundi is one of two border crossings to
Turkmenistan
Turkmenistan ( or ; tk, Türkmenistan / Түркменистан, ) is a country located in Central Asia, bordered by Kazakhstan to the northwest, Uzbekistan to the north, east and northeast, Afghanistan to the southeast, Iran to the sout ...
. The eight districts captured were
Karukh,
Kohsan,
Gulran,
Kushki Kuhna,
Kushk,
Shindand,
Adraskan, and
Pashtun Zarghun. According to reports, five districts fell without a fight.
Zendeh Jan District, from Herat, fell to the Taliban the day before. The attacks and captures of the districts only left 2 districts,
Injil
Injil ( ar, wikt:إنجيل, إنجيل, ʾInjīl, alternative spellings: ''Ingil'' or ''Injeel'') is the Arabic name for the Gospel of Jesus Jesus in Islam, (Isa). This ''Injil'' is described by the Quran as one of the four Islamic holy books w ...
and
Guzara, plus the city of Herat in government hands.
Karokh District was retaken on 23 July, but was only held for a week. On 24 July, the government imposed a curfew for Herat Province and most of Afghanistan's other provinces. Karokh district was retaken on 30 July.
Ismail Khan
Following the capture of 8 districts in the province in one day on 9 July, the Taliban advanced close to the city. That same day Ismail Khan, former warlord and prominent member of
Jamiat-e Islami
Jamayat-E-Islami (also rendered as Jamiat-e-Islami and Jamiati Islami; fa, جمعیت اسلامی افغانستان, lit=Islamic Society), sometimes shortened to Jamiat, is a predominantly Tajik political party in Afghanistan. It was origi ...
, called up his followers to secure and defend Herat and then recapture the surrounding districts.
They coordinated their activities with security forces and were deployed by 13 July.
The forces he commanded temporarily prevented the capturing of the city by the Taliban and slowed their advance.
Battle
![Map_of_Districts_of_Herat](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/2/2a/Map_of_Districts_of_Herat.png)
Fighting began in the city around 28 July. The next day, fighting reached the
Malan Bridge the day before, which crosses the Hari river about south of the city.
The battle was intense on 30 July. The portion of the
Kandahar–Herat Highway
The Kandahar–Herat Highway is section of road that links the cities of Kandahar and Herat in Afghanistan. This highway is part of a larger road network, the "Ring Road", and was first constructed by the Soviets in the 1960s. The Kandahar-H ...
leading to the airport was under heavy attack. The
United Nations
The United Nations (UN) is an intergovernmental organization whose stated purposes are to maintain international peace and international security, security, develop friendly relations among nations, achieve international cooperation, and be ...
office in Herat was also attacked by gunfire and grenades, killing a security guard and wounding others. A Taliban spokesman released a statement saying the office had been caught in crossfire. The commander of the
207th Corps was captured and killed on this day as well.
Due to the fighting, all flights were cancelled at Herat International Airport, located south of the city.
Government forces were able to retake the road going to the airport by the afternoon of the next day.
On 31 July the Malan Bridge was taken by the Taliban after two days of fighting.
The next day reporters for
Pajhwok Afghan News
, logo =
, image =
, image_size =
, type = Independent news agency
, headquarters = Kabul, Afghanistan
, language = English, Dari, Pashto
, founded = 2003
, founder = Danish Karokhel
, o ...
were briefly taken captive but were quickly released.
On 2 August clashes occurred at least from the city center between government aligned forces and the Taliban, mostly in districts 2, 3, 7, and 14. Heratis also chanted "
Allahu akbar
Allah (; ar, الله, translit=Allāh, ) is the common Arabic word for God. In the English language, the word generally refers to God in Islam. The word is thought to be derived by contraction from '' al- ilāh'', which means "the god", an ...
" ("God is Great") in the streets in support of the government and allied forces. Two days later, August districts 2, 3, 10, and 11 were attacked by the Taliban. The police chief for district 10 was killed in the fighting.
The Taliban were successfully pushed out of the city.
Surrender
On 12 August Herat was attacked from four sides. Governor
Abdul Saboor Qani said that the Taliban faced a huge response from security forces. That same day in the early evening, Taliban fighters broke through the defensive lines, entered the city, and took control. People were running and screamed that the Taliban were there. Witnesses said there was occasional gunfire at one government building while the rest of the city went quiet.
Officials and remaining government forces retreated to a military base and surrendered there the next morning.
Shindand Air Base
Sabzwar Air Base is an Afghan Air Base located in the western part of Afghanistan in the Sabzwar District of Herat Province, 7 miles northeast of the city of Shindand. The runway has a concrete surface. An all weather asphalt road connects it ...
was also taken. According to
Khalid Pashtoon, senior adviser to the Afghan high peace council, government troops surrendered in Herat which led to its fall.
Aftermath
Residents reported that the Taliban were searching houses, looking for government workers, guns, and vehicles. Two alleged looters were paraded through the streets as a warning the day after the Taliban captured the city.
Ismail Khan was captured and put under house arrest. According to a member of the provincial council, Khan, the provincial governor, and other officials were handed over as part of an agreement with the insurgents. The capture provided the Taliban with a strong symbol of fading resistance in Herat in addition to claiming that Khan had defected to their side. According to sources close to him, on 16 August he left custody and went to
Mashhad, Iran
Mashhad ( fa, مشهد, Mašhad ), also spelled Mashad, is the second-most-populous city in Iran, located in the relatively remote north-east of the country about from Tehran. It serves as the capital of Razavi Khorasan Province and has a po ...
.
A few days after the city fell, some government offices in the city including the electricity department had reopened without female employees. Women also stayed off the streets and men wore more traditional Afghan clothing. On 18 August, girls returned to school. The Taliban handed out hijabs and headscarves at the entrance to the school.
Significance
Herat is Afghanistan's third largest city (with a population of at least two million), lies on important trade routes, and is an important entrance into Iran. It is the largest city in Afghanistan's west, and partially because of that it is an economic hub.
Together with the capture of
Lashkargah
Lashkargāh ( ps, لښکرګاه; fa, لشکرگاه), historically called Bost or Boost (), is a city in southwestern Afghanistan and the capital of Helmand Province. It is located in Lashkargah District, where the Arghandab River merges into ...
in the
Battle of Lashkargah and the fall of
Kandahar
Kandahar (; Kandahār, , Qandahār) is a List of cities in Afghanistan, city in Afghanistan, located in the south of the country on the Arghandab River, at an elevation of . It is Afghanistan's second largest city after Kabul, with a population ...
in
the 2021 Battle of Kandahar, their captures were the most significant gains yet in the
2021 Taliban offensive
A military offensive by the Taliban insurgent group and other allied militants led to the fall of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan based in Kabul and marked the end of the nearly 20-year-old War in Afghanistan, that had begun following the ...
.
Effects
According to health officials, at least 8 civilians were killed and 260 were wounded in the two weeks of fighting.
A hospital said it received 24 bodies and almost 200 wounded people. A Taliban attack on infrastructure in
Islam Qala
Islām Qala (Persian/Pashto: اسلام قلعه, also ''Eslām Qalʿeh''), known historically as Kafir Qala, is a border town in the western Herat province of Afghanistan, near the Afghanistan–Iran border. It is the official entry by land from n ...
led to the loss of internet in mid-July.
Two weeks after the capture of Islam Qala, the price of cooking oil increased by roughly 50%.
Most of the well-to-do in Herat left before
Eid al-Adha
Eid al-Adha () is the second and the larger of the two main holidays celebrated in Islam (the other being Eid al-Fitr). It honours the willingness of Ibrahim (Abraham) to sacrifice his son Ismail (Ishmael) as an act of obedience to Allah's co ...
, which dramatically reduced spending on Eid. According to one seller, his Eid revenues fell by 90%. A sweet maker had his orders cut in half compared to a normal year.
Notes
See also
2021 Taliban offensive
A military offensive by the Taliban insurgent group and other allied militants led to the fall of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan based in Kabul and marked the end of the nearly 20-year-old War in Afghanistan, that had begun following the ...
*
Capture of Zaranj
The capture of Zaranj, the capital of Nimruz Province, Afghanistan, occurred on 6 August 2021. According to the local officials, only the National Directorate of Security (NDS) and its forces had put up a fight against the Taliban, but they too ...
*
Battle of Kunduz
*
Battle of Kandahar Battle of Kandahar may refer to:
* Battle of Kandahar (1880), the last major conflict of the Second Anglo-Afghan War
* Battle of Kandahar (2001), the fall of the city in 2001, signaling the end of organized Taliban control of Afghanistan
* Battl ...
*
Battle of Lashkargah
*
Fall of Kabul
References
External links
Herat Province District Atlas
{{Portal bar, Afghanistan, Modern history, War
2021 in Afghanistan
21st century in Herat Province
Battles in 2021
Herat
Herāt (; Persian: ) is an oasis city and the third-largest city of Afghanistan. In 2020, it had an estimated population of 574,276, and serves as the capital of Herat Province, situated south of the Paropamisus Mountains (''Selseleh-ye Safēd ...
July 2021 events in Asia
August 2021 events in Afghanistan