'
ps, کمک او همکاري '
, allies =
Afghanistan
Afghanistan, officially the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan,; prs, امارت اسلامی افغانستان is a landlocked country located at the crossroads of Central Asia and South Asia. Referred to as the Heart of Asia, it is bordere ...
, opponents =
Taliban
The Taliban (; ps, طالبان, ṭālibān, lit=students or 'seekers'), which also refers to itself by its state name, the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan, is a Deobandi Islamic fundamentalist, militant Islamist, jihadist, and Pasht ...
Al-Qaeda
, commander1 =
, commander1_label = Commander
, commander2 =
, commander2_label =
, commander3 =
, commander3_label = Chief of Staff
, notable_commanders =
Gen. John F. Campbell (2014)
, identification_symbol =
![Flag of the International Security Assistance Force (variant)](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/7/71/Flag_of_the_International_Security_Assistance_Force_%28variant%29.png)
, identification_symbol_label = Flags
The International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) was a multinational military mission in
Afghanistan
Afghanistan, officially the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan,; prs, امارت اسلامی افغانستان is a landlocked country located at the crossroads of Central Asia and South Asia. Referred to as the Heart of Asia, it is bordere ...
from 2001 to 2014. It was established by
United Nations Security Council
The United Nations Security Council (UNSC) is one of the six principal organs of the United Nations (UN) and is charged with ensuring international peace and security, recommending the admission of new UN members to the General Assembly, an ...
Resolution 1386 pursuant to the
Bonn Agreement, which outlined the establishment of a permanent Afghan government following the U.S. invasion in October 2001.
ISAF's primary goal was to train the
Afghan National Security Forces (ANSF) and assist Afghanistan in rebuilding key government institutions; it gradually took part in the broader
war in Afghanistan
War in Afghanistan, Afghan war, or Afghan civil war may refer to:
*Conquest of Afghanistan by Alexander the Great (330 BC – 327 BC)
* Muslim conquests of Afghanistan (637–709)
*Conquest of Afghanistan by the Mongol Empire (13th century), see al ...
against the
Taliban insurgency
{{Infobox military conflict
, partof = the War in Afghanistan (2001–2021) and the Afghanistan conflict
, image = 2021 Taliban Offensive.png
, image_size = 300px
, caption = Map of the 2021 Taliban of ...
.
ISAF's initial mandate was to secure the Afghan capital of
Kabul
Kabul (; ps, , ; , ) is the capital and largest city of Afghanistan. Located in the eastern half of the country, it is also a municipality, forming part of the Kabul Province; it is administratively divided into 22 municipal districts. Acco ...
and its surrounding area against opposition forces to facilitate the formation of the
Afghan Transitional Administration
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 ...
headed by
Hamid Karzai
Hamid Karzai (; Pashto/ fa, حامد کرزی, , ; born 24 December 1957) is an Afghan statesman who served as the fourth president of Afghanistan from July 2002 to September 2014, including as the first elected president of the Islamic Repub ...
. In 2003,
NATO
The North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO, ; french: Organisation du traité de l'Atlantique nord, ), also called the North Atlantic Alliance, is an intergovernmental military alliance between 30 member states – 28 European and two No ...
took command of the mission at the request of the UN and Afghan government, marking its first deployment outside Europe and North America. Shortly thereafter, the UN Security Council expanded ISAF's mission to provide and maintain security beyond the capital region. ISAF incrementally broadened its operations in four stages, and by 2006 took responsibility for the entire country; ISAF subsequently engaged in more intensive combat in southern and eastern Afghanistan.
At its peak between 2010 and 2012, ISAF had 400 military bases throughout Afghanistan (compared to 300 for the ANSF) and roughly 130,000 troops. A total of 42 countries contributed troops to ISAF, including all
30 members of NATO. Personnel contributions varied greatly throughout the course of the mission: Initially, Canada was the largest contributor, though by 2010 the
United States
The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territori ...
accounted for the majority of troops, followed by the
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Europe, off the north-western coast of the European mainland, continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotlan ...
, Turkey, Germany, France, and Italy; nations such as Georgia, Denmark, Norway, and Estonia were among the largest contributors per capita. The intensity of the combat faced by participating countries varied greatly, with the U.S. sustaining the most casualties overall, while British, Danish, Estonian, and Georgian forces suffered the most deaths for their size.
Pursuant to its ultimate aim of transitioning security responsibilities to Afghan forces, ISAF ceased combat operations and was disbanded in December 2014. A number of troops remained to serve a supporting and advisory role as part of its successor organization, the
Resolute Support Mission
Resolute Support Mission (RSM) or Operation Resolute Support was a NATO-led multinational mission in Afghanistan. It began on 1 January 2015 as the successor to the International Security Assistance Force (ISAF), which was completed on 28 Decem ...
.
Jurisdiction
![Military terminal at Kabul International Airport](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/f/f9/Military_terminal_at_Kabul_International_Airport.jpg)
For almost two years, the ISAF mandate did not go beyond the boundaries of Kabul. According to General
Norbert Van Heyst, such a deployment would require at least ten thousand additional soldiers. The responsibility for security throughout the whole of Afghanistan was to be given to the newly reconstituted
Afghan National Army. However, on 13 October 2003, the Security Council voted unanimously to expand the ISAF mission beyond Kabul with Resolution 1510. Shortly thereafter, Canadian Prime Minister
Jean Chrétien said that Canadian soldiers (nearly half the entire force at that time) would not deploy outside Kabul.
On 24 October 2003, the German
Bundestag
The Bundestag (, "Federal Diet") is the German federal parliament. It is the only federal representative body that is directly elected by the German people. It is comparable to the United States House of Representatives or the House of Common ...
voted to send German troops to the region of
Kunduz
, native_name_lang = prs
, other_name =
, settlement_type = City
, image_skyline = Kunduz River valley.jpg
, imagesize = 300
, image_alt =
, image_caption =
, image_ ...
. Approximately 230 additional soldiers were deployed to that region, marking the first time that ISAF soldiers operated outside of Kabul. After the
Afghan parliamentary election in September 2005 the Canadian base
Camp Julien in Kabul closed, and the remaining Canadian assets were moved to
Kandahar
Kandahar (; Kandahār, , Qandahār) is a 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 of about 614,118. It is the c ...
as part of
Operation Enduring Freedom in preparation for a significant deployment in January 2006. On 31 July 2006, the NATO‑led International Security Assistance Force assumed command of the south of the country, ISAF Stage 3, and by 5 October, also of the east of Afghanistan, ISAF Stage 4.
ISAF was mandated by
UN Security Council Resolution
A United Nations Security Council resolution is a United Nations resolution adopted by the fifteen members of the Security Council (UNSC); the United Nations (UN) body charged with "primary responsibility for the maintenance of international peac ...
s
1386
Year 1386 ( MCCCLXXXVI) was a common year starting on Monday (link will display the full calendar) of the Julian calendar.
Events
January–December
* February 24 – Elizabeth of Bosnia, the mother of the overthrown Queen Mary ...
,
1413
Year 1413 ( MCDXIII) was a common year starting on Sunday (link will display the full calendar) of the Julian calendar.
Events January–December
* March 21 – Henry V becomes King of England following the death of his father Henry ...
,
1444
Year 1444 ( MCDXLIV) was a leap year starting on Wednesday (link will display the full calendar) of the Julian calendar. It is one of eight years (CE) to contain each Roman numeral once (1000(M)+(-100(C)+500(D))+(-10(X)+50(L))+(-1(I)+5(V)) = 1444. ...
,
1510,
1563
Year 1563 ( MDLXIII) was a common year starting on Friday (link will display the full calendar) of the Julian calendar.
Events
January–June
* February 1 – Sarsa Dengel succeeds his father Menas as Emperor of Ethiopia.
* Jan ...
,
1623
Events
January–March
* January 21 –
**Viscount Falkland, England's Lord Deputy of Ireland, issues a proclamation ordering all Roman Catholic priests to leave Ireland. The order frustrates negotiations between Protestant En ...
,
1659
Events
January–March
* January 14 – In the Battle of the Lines of Elvas, fought near the small city of Elvas in Portugal during the Portuguese Restoration War, the Spanish Army under the command of Luis Méndez de Haro suf ...
,
1707,
1776, and
1917 (2010). The last of these extended the mandate of ISAF to 23 March 2011.
The mandates given by the different governments to their forces varied from country to country. This meant that ISAF suffered from a lack of united aims.
History
![Defense](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/6/60/Defense.gov_News_Photo_020311-D-2987S-018.jpg)
The initial ISAF headquarters (AISAF) was based on
3rd UK Mechanised Division, led at the time by Major General
John McColl. This force arrived in December 2001. Until ISAF expanded beyond Kabul, the force consisted of a roughly division-level headquarters and one brigade covering the capital, the Kabul Multinational Brigade. The brigade was composed of three battle groups, and was in charge of the tactical command of deployed troops. ISAF headquarters served as the operational control center of the mission.
Eighteen countries were contributors to the force in February 2002, and it was expected to grow to 5,000 soldiers.
[ISAF in Afghanistan](_blank)
CDI, Terrorism Project – 14 February 2002. Turkey assumed command of ISAF in June 2002 (Major General
Hilmi Akin Zorlu). During this period, the number of Turkish troops increased from about 100 to 1,300. In November 2002, ISAF consisted of 4,650 troops from over 20 countries. Around 1,200 German troops served in the force alongside 250 Dutch soldiers operating as part of a German-led battalion. Turkey relinquished command in February 2003, and assumed command for a second time in February 2005. Turkey's area of operations expanded into the rugged west of Afghanistan. The expansion of its zone of activities saw ISAF troops operating in 50 percent of Afghanistan, double its previous responsibility.
On 10 February 2003, German Lieutenant General
Norbert van Heyst took command of ISAF, with Brigadier General
Bertholee of the Netherlands serving as Deputy. The mission HQ was formed from HQ
I. German/Dutch Corps (1GNC), including staff from the UK, Italy, Turkey,
Norway
Norway, officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic country in Northern Europe, the mainland territory of which comprises the western and northernmost portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula. The remote Arctic island of Jan Mayen and t ...
, and others.
["International Security Assistance Force – Overall Command". NATO Military Forces, Strategy, Structure and Operations Handbook, vol. 1, USA International Business Publications, 2009, pp. 22.] In March 2003, ISAF was composed of 4,700 troops from 28 countries. Service in ISAF by NATO personnel from 1 June 2003. onward earns the right to wear the
NATO Medal
The NATO Medal is an international military decoration which is awarded to various militaries of the world under the authority of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO). It is manufactured by Eekelers-Centini Intl, of Hemiksem, Belgium.
Ba ...
if a service-member met a defined set of tour length requirements.
In Kabul on 7 June 2003, a taxi packed with explosives rammed a bus carrying German ISAF personnel, killing four soldiers and wounding 29 others; one Afghan bystander was killed and 10 Afghan bystanders were wounded. The 33 German soldiers, after months on duty in Kabul, were en route to the Kabul International Airport for their flight home to Germany. At the time, Germans soldiers made up more than 40 percent of ISAF troops.
ISAF command originally rotated among different nations every six months. However, there was tremendous difficulty securing new lead nations. To solve the problem, the command was turned over indefinitely to NATO on 11 August 2003.
This marked NATO's first deployment outside Europe or North America.
* In February 2002,
South Korea
South Korea, officially the Republic of Korea (ROK), is a country in East Asia, constituting the southern part of the Korea, Korean Peninsula and sharing a Korean Demilitarized Zone, land border with North Korea. Its western border is formed ...
sent a medical contingent of 99 soldiers.
* Between February and July 2002,
Portugal
Portugal, officially the Portuguese Republic ( pt, República Portuguesa, links=yes ), is a country whose mainland is located on the Iberian Peninsula of Southwestern Europe, and whose territory also includes the Atlantic archipelagos of ...
sent a sanitary team and an air team to ISAF.
* A study by
Care International in the summer of 2003 reported that
Kosovo
Kosovo ( sq, Kosova or ; sr-Cyrl, Косово ), officially the Republic of Kosovo ( sq, Republika e Kosovës, links=no; sr, Република Косово, Republika Kosovo, links=no), is a partially recognised state in Southeast Euro ...
had one peacekeeper to 48 people,
East Timor
East Timor (), also known as Timor-Leste (), officially the Democratic Republic of Timor-Leste, is an island country in Southeast Asia. It comprises the eastern half of the island of Timor, the exclave of Oecusse on the island's north-weste ...
one for every 86, while Afghanistan has just one for every 5,380 people.
Stage 1: to the north – completed October 2004
* On 11 August 2003, NATO took command of ISAF, which consisted of 5,000 troops from more than 30 countries. About 90 percent of the force was contributed by NATO nations. By far the largest single contingent, 1,950 were Canadian. About 2,000 German troops were involved, and Romania had about 400 troops at the time.
* The first ISAF rotation under the command of NATO was led by Lieutenant General
Goetz Gliemeroth, Germany, with Canadian Army Major General
Andrew Leslie as his deputy. Canada originally had been slated to take over command of ISAF on 11 August 2003.
* 13 October 2003: Resolution 1510 passed by the UN opened the way to a wider role for ISAF to support the government of Afghanistan beyond Kabul.
* In December 2003, the
North Atlantic Council
The North Atlantic Council (NAC) is the principal political decision-making body of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), consisting of permanent representatives of its member countries. It was established by Article 9 of the North A ...
authorized the
Supreme Allied Commander, Europe
The Supreme Allied Commander Europe (SACEUR) is the commander of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization's (NATO) Allied Command Operations (ACO) and head of ACO's headquarters, Supreme Headquarters Allied Powers Europe (SHAPE). The commander is ...
,
General James Jones, to initiate the expansion of ISAF by taking over command of the German-led PRT in Kunduz. The other eight PRTs operating in Afghanistan in 2003 remained under the command of Operation Enduring Freedom, the continuing U.S.‑led military operation in Afghanistan. On 31 December 2003, the military component of the Kunduz PRT was placed under ISAF command as a pilot project and first step in the expansion of the mission. Six months later, on 28 June 2004, at the Summit meeting of the NATO Heads of State and Government in
Istanbul
Istanbul ( , ; tr, İstanbul ), formerly known as Constantinople ( grc-gre, Κωνσταντινούπολις; la, Constantinopolis), is the List of largest cities and towns in Turkey, largest city in Turkey, serving as the country's economic, ...
, NATO announced that it would establish four other provincial reconstruction teams in the north of the country: in Mazar-i-Sharif, Meymana,
Feyzabad and
Baghlan
Baghlan (Dari: بغلان ''Baġlān'') is a city in northern Afghanistan, in the eponymous province, Baghlan Province. It is located three miles east of the Kunduz River, 35 miles south of Khanabad, and about 500 metres above sea level in the ...
. After the completion of Stage 1 the ISAF's area of operations then covered about 3,600 square kilometers in the north, and the mission was able to influence security in nine Northern provinces of the country.
[NATO's role in Afghanistan](_blank)
NATO ISAF missions – 3 September 2009.
* As late as November 2003, the entire ISAF force had only three
helicopter
A helicopter is a type of rotorcraft in which lift and thrust are supplied by horizontally spinning rotors. This allows the helicopter to take off and land vertically, to hover, and to fly forward, backward and laterally. These attributes ...
s.
* On 9 February 2004, Lieutenant General
Rick Hillier
Rick may refer to:
People
*Rick (given name), a list of people with the given name
*Alan Rick (born 1976), Brazilian politician, journalist, pastor and television personality
*Johannes Rick (1869–1946), Austrian-born Brazilian priest and mycol ...
of Canada took command, with Major General Werner Korte of Germany as deputy. During this time-frame, Canada was the largest contributor to the ISAF force, providing 2,000 troops.
* In May 2004, Turkey sent three helicopters and 56 flight and maintenance personnel to work in ISAF.
* In July 2004, Portugal sent 24 soldiers and one C‑130 Hercules cargo plane to assist ISAF.
* On 7 August 2004, General
Jean-Louis Py, commander of
Eurocorps
Eurocorps, located in the French city of Strasbourg (Bas-Rhin), is a multinational corps headquarters. Founded by France and Germany in 1992, it is today composed of personnel from six framework nations and five associated nations. The framework ...
, took command of ISAF. Eurocorps contributors deploying to Afghanistan included France, Germany, Spain,
Belgium
Belgium, ; french: Belgique ; german: Belgien officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a country in Northwestern Europe. The country is bordered by the Netherlands to the north, Germany to the east, Luxembourg to the southeast, France to th ...
and
Luxembourg
Luxembourg ( ; lb, Lëtzebuerg ; french: link=no, Luxembourg; german: link=no, Luxemburg), officially the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg, ; french: link=no, Grand-Duché de Luxembourg ; german: link=no, Großherzogtum Luxemburg is a small lan ...
. Canada reduced its forces to about 800 personnel.
* In September 2004, a Spanish
battalion
A battalion is a military unit, typically consisting of 300 to 1,200 soldiers commanded by a lieutenant colonel, and subdivided into a number of companies (usually each commanded by a major or a captain). In some countries, battalions are ...
of about 800 personnel arrived to provide the ISAF Quick Reaction Force, and an
Italian Army
"The safeguard of the republic shall be the supreme law"
, colors =
, colors_labels =
, march = ''Parata d'Eroi'' ("Heroes's parade") by Francesco Pellegrino, ''4 Maggio'' (May 4) ...
battalion of up to 1,000 troops arrived to provide the in‑theater Operational Reserve Force. With a force of 100,
Georgia
Georgia most commonly refers to:
* Georgia (country), a country in the Caucasus region of Eurasia
* Georgia (U.S. state), a state in the Southeast United States
Georgia may also refer to:
Places
Historical states and entities
* Related to the ...
became the first
Commonwealth of Independent States
The Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) is a regional intergovernmental organization in Eurasia. It was formed following the dissolution of the Soviet Union in 1991. It covers an area of and has an estimated population of 239,796,010. ...
country to send an operational force to Afghanistan.
* Stage 1 (North) was completed in October 2004, under the Regional Command of Germany.
Stage 2: to the west – completed September 2005
* In February 2005, General
Ethem Erdagi of Turkey took command
* On 10 February 2005, NATO announced that ISAF would be expanded into the west of Afghanistan. This process began on 31 May 2006, when ISAF took command of two additional
Provincial Reconstruction Team
A Provincial Reconstruction Team (PRT) was a unit introduced by the United States government, consisting of military officers, diplomats, and reconstruction subject matter experts, working to support reconstruction efforts in unstable states. PRT ...
s in the provinces of Herat and Farah, and of a Forward Support Base (a logistic base) in Herat. At the beginning of September, two additional ISAF-led PRTs in the west became operational, one in Chaghcharan, capital of Ghor province, and one in Qala-e-Naw, capital of Baghdis province; this completed ISAF's expansion into the west. The extended ISAF mission led a total of nine PRTs in the north and the west, providing security assistance in 50 percent of Afghanistan's territory.
* As the area of responsibility was increased, ISAF also took command of an increasing number of PRTs, with the aim of improving security and facilitating reconstruction outside the capital. The first nine PRTs (and lead nations) were based at
Baghlan
Baghlan (Dari: بغلان ''Baġlān'') is a city in northern Afghanistan, in the eponymous province, Baghlan Province. It is located three miles east of the Kunduz River, 35 miles south of Khanabad, and about 500 metres above sea level in the ...
(Netherlands, then Hungary, in October 2006),
Chaghcharan (Lithuania),
Farah (U.S.), Fayzabad (Germany),
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 ...
(Italy), Kunduz (Germany),
Mazar-i-Sharif
, official_name =
, settlement_type = City
, image_skyline =
, pushpin_map = Afghanistan#Bactria#West Asia
, pushpin_label = Mazar-i-Sharif
, pushpin ...
(U.K., then Denmark and Sweden, then Sweden and
Finland
Finland ( fi, Suomi ; sv, Finland ), officially the Republic of Finland (; ), is a Nordic country in Northern Europe. It shares land borders with Sweden to the northwest, Norway to the north, and Russia to the east, with the Gulf of B ...
),
Maymana
Maymana ( Persian/ Uzbek/Pashto: میمنه) is the capital city of Faryab Province in northwestern Afghanistan, near the Turkmenistan border. It is approximately northwest of the country's capital Kabul, and is located on the Maymana River, wh ...
(U.K., then Norway),
Qala‑e Naw (Spain).
* In May 2005, ISAF Stage 2 took place, doubling the size of the territory for which ISAF was responsible. The new area was the former U.S.
Regional Command West consisting of Badghis, Farah, Ghor, and Herat Provinces.
* On 5 August 2005, Italian General
Mauro del Vecchio assumed command of ISAF. During 2005, Italy commanded four multinational military operations: in Afghanistan,
Bosnia
Bosnia and Herzegovina ( sh, / , ), abbreviated BiH () or B&H, sometimes called Bosnia–Herzegovina and often known informally as Bosnia, is a country at the crossroads of south and southeast Europe, located in the Balkans. Bosnia and He ...
,
Kosovo
Kosovo ( sq, Kosova or ; sr-Cyrl, Косово ), officially the Republic of Kosovo ( sq, Republika e Kosovës, links=no; sr, Република Косово, Republika Kosovo, links=no), is a partially recognised state in Southeast Euro ...
and
Albania
Albania ( ; sq, Shqipëri or ), or , also or . officially the Republic of Albania ( sq, Republika e Shqipërisë), is a country in Southeastern Europe. It is located on the Adriatic and Ionian Seas within the Mediterranean Sea and shares ...
.
* In September 2005, ISAF Stage 2 was completed under the Regional Command of Italy. The Alliance also temporarily deployed 2,000 additional troops to Afghanistan to support 18 September provincial and parliamentary elections.
* On 27 January 2006, it was announced in the British Parliament that ISAF would replace U.S. Operation Enduring Freedom troops in
Helmand Province
Helmand (Pashto/Dari: ; ), also known as Hillmand, in ancient times, as Hermand and Hethumand, is one of the 34 provinces of Afghanistan
Afghanistan is divided into 34 provinces (, '' wilåyat''). The provinces of Afghanistan are the primar ...
. The British
16th Air Assault Brigade became the core of the force in Helmand Province.
* In February 2006, the Netherlands expanded its troop contribution with an extra 1,400 soldiers.
* On 22 May 2006, a
British Army
The British Army is the principal land warfare force of the United Kingdom, a part of the British Armed Forces along with the Royal Navy and the Royal Air Force. , the British Army comprises 79,380 regular full-time personnel, 4,090 Gurk ...
WAH-64 Apache gunship fired a
Hellfire missile
The AGM-114 Hellfire is an air-to-ground missile (AGM) first developed for anti-armor use, later developed for precision drone strikes against other target types, especially high-value targets. It was originally developed under the name '' Heli ...
to destroy a French armored vehicle that had been disabled during a firefight with Taliban forces in North Helmand province the previous day, as it had been determined that attempting to recover the vehicle would have been too dangerous. This was the first time U.K. Apaches had opened fire in a hostile theater and was, after a fashion, the WAH-64's first "combat kill."
Stage 3: to the south – completed July 2006
* On 8 December 2005, meeting at NATO Headquarters in
Brussels
Brussels (french: Bruxelles or ; nl, Brussel ), officially the Brussels-Capital Region (All text and all but one graphic show the English name as Brussels-Capital Region.) (french: link=no, Région de Bruxelles-Capitale; nl, link=no, Bruss ...
, the Allied Foreign Ministers endorsed a plan that paved the way for an expanded ISAF role and presence in Afghanistan. The first element of this plan was the expansion of ISAF to the south in 2006, also known as Stage 3. At the completion of this stage, the ISAF assumed command of the southern region of Afghanistan from U.S.‑led Coalition forces, expanding its area of operations to cover an additional six provinces – Day Kundi, Helmand,
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 ...
,
Nimroz
Nimruz or Nimroz (Dari: ; Balochi: ) is one of the 34 provinces of Afghanistan, located in the southwestern part of the country. It lies to the east of the Sistan and Baluchestan Province of Iran and north of Balochistan, Pakistan, also borde ...
, Uruzgan, and
Zabul
Zabul (Pashto/Dari: ) is one of the 34 provinces of Afghanistan, located in the south of the country. It has a population of 249,000. Zabul became an independent province from neighbouring Kandahar in 1963. Historically, it was part of the Zabu ...
– and taking on command of four additional PRTs. The expanded ISAF led a total of 13 PRTs in the north, west and south, covering some three-quarters of Afghanistan's territory. The number of ISAF forces in the country also increased significantly, from about 10,000 prior to the expansion to about 20,000 after.
* On 4 May 2006, United Kingdom General
David Richards assumed command of the ISAF IX force in Afghanistan. The mission was led by the
Allied Rapid Reaction Corps
The Allied Rapid Reaction Corps (ARRC) is a North Atlantic Treaty Organization High Readiness Force (Land) Headquarters ready for deployment worldwide.
History
The ARRC was created on 1 October 1992 in Bielefeld based on the former I (Britis ...
.
* On 31 July 2006, Stage 3 was completed; the NATO-led International Security Assistance Force also assumed command in six provinces of the south.
Regional Command South
In geography, regions, otherwise referred to as zones, lands or territories, are areas that are broadly divided by physical characteristics (physical geography), human impact characteristics (human geography), and the interaction of humanity and t ...
was established at Kandahar. Led by Canada, 8,000 soldiers were positioned there.
* With the Taliban regrouping, especially in its birthplace of Kandahar province bordering
Pakistan
Pakistan ( ur, ), officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan ( ur, , label=none), is a country in South Asia. It is the world's List of countries and dependencies by population, fifth-most populous country, with a population of almost 24 ...
, NATO launched its biggest offensive against the guerrillas at the weekend of 2 and 3 September 2006 (
Operation Medusa
Operation Medusa (September 2–17, 2006) was a Canadian-led offensive during the second Battle of Panjwaii of the War in Afghanistan. The operation was fought primarily by the 1st Battalion, The Royal Canadian Regiment Battle Group and other e ...
). NATO reported that it had killed more than 250 Taliban fighters, but the Taliban stated that NATO casualty estimates were exaggerated.
* On 7 September 2006, a British soldier was killed and six were wounded when their patrol strayed into an unmarked minefield in Helmand, the major opium poppy-growing province west of Kandahar.
* On 28 September 2006, the North Atlantic Council gave final authorization for the NATO-led International Security Assistance Force (NATO-ISAF) to expand its area of operations to 14 additional provinces in the east of Afghanistan, boosting NATO's presence and role in the country. With this further expansion, NATO-ISAF assisted the
Government of Afghanistan
The government of Afghanistan, officially called the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan, is the central government of Afghanistan, a unitary state. Under the leadership of the Taliban, the government is a theocracy and an emirate with political pow ...
in providing security throughout the entire country.
The expansion saw the NATO-ISAF controlling 32,000 troops from 37 countries, although by this stage, the alliance was struggling to find extra troops to hold off a spiraling Taliban-led insurgency in the volatile south.
Stage 4: ISAF takes responsibility for entire country – completed October 2006
* On 5 October 2006, ISAF implemented the final stage of its expansion by taking over command of the international military forces in eastern Afghanistan from the U.S.‑led Coalition. In addition to expanding the Alliance's area of operations, the revised operational plan also paved the way for a greater ISAF role in the country. This includes the deployment of ISAF
Operational Mentoring and Liaison Team
Operational Mentoring and Liaison Teams (OMLTs) were the NATO equivalent of the United States' Embedded Training Teams and were active in Afghanistan.
Countries
Teams from several countries
provided training and operational support to the A ...
s (OMLTs) to Afghan National Army units at various levels of command.
* 10,000 more coalition troops moved under NATO command. 31,000 ISAF troops were now in Afghanistan and 8,000 U.S. troops continued separate training and counter-terrorism activities.
* On 21 October 2006, the Canadian government expressed frustration over the unwillingness of some European NATO members to deploy troops to help fight mounting Taliban resistance in the south.
ISAF after Stage 4: October 2006 to 2014
![Anaconda Strategy vs Insurgents 101020](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/6/6a/Anaconda_Strategy_vs_Insurgents_101020.jpg)
* In November 2006, a study by the
Joint Co-ordinating and Monitoring Board
A joint or articulation (or articular surface) is the connection made between bones, ossicles, or other hard structures in the body which link an animal's skeletal system into a functional whole.Saladin, Ken. Anatomy & Physiology. 7th ed. McGraw ...
, made up of the Afghan government, its key foreign backers and the U.N, suggested that more than 3,700 people died from January to November 2006. The majority of the dead appeared to be insurgents, but it was estimated that 1,000 civilians had been killed that year, along with members of the
Afghan National Army, ISAF, and U.S.
Operation Enduring Freedom forces.
* On 28–29 November 2006, there was a NATO summit at
Riga
Riga (; lv, Rīga , liv, Rīgõ) is the capital and largest city of Latvia and is home to 605,802 inhabitants which is a third of Latvia's population. The city lies on the Gulf of Riga at the mouth of the Daugava river where it meets the Ba ...
, Latvia. Combat curbs were the most contentious issue at the two-day summit in Latvia, following tension over the reluctance of France, Germany, Spain, and Italy to send troops to southern Afghanistan. Countries agreeing to ease the restrictions on deployment against the Taliban insurgency included the Dutch, Romanians, and smaller nations such as Slovenia and Luxembourg. France, Germany, Spain, and Italy agreed to send help to trouble zones outside their areas, but only in emergencies. The summit also saw several countries offer additional troops and training teams. France agreed to send more helicopters and aircraft. NATO commanders said they believed they could move an additional 2,500 troops around the country after some smaller members relaxed their mission conditions.
* On 15 December 2006, ISAF started a new offensive,
Operation Baaz Tsuka
Operation Falcon Summit (Pashto: ''Baaz Tsuka'') was a Canadian-led operation in the Battle of Panjwaii and, on a larger scale, in the War in Afghanistan.
NATO forces launched the operation on December 15, 2006, with the intention of expelling Ta ...
(Falcon's Summit), against the Taliban in the
Panjaway valley in Kandahar province.
* On 4 February 2007, U.S. General
Dan K. McNeill
Dan Kelly McNeill (born July 23, 1946) is a retired four-star general in the United States Army. He served as Commander, Coalition Forces, Afghanistan from 2002 to 2003 and as Commanding General, U.S. Army Forces Command (FORSCOM) from 2004 t ...
replaced British General
David Richards as commander of ISAF. Analysts reported that he planned to place a heavier emphasis on fighting than on peace deals.
[U.S. general in Afghanistan seen tough on Taliban](_blank)
REUTERS – 5 February 2007 Meanwhile, observers and commanders were expecting a new Taliban "spring offensive," and NATO commanders asked for more troops.
* On 6 March 2007, NATO-ISAF launched
Operation Achilles, an offensive to bring security to northern Helmand and set the conditions for meaningful development that would fundamentally improve the quality of life for Afghans in the area. The operation eventually involved more than 4,500 NATO troops and nearly 1,000 Afghan soldiers in Helmand province, according to the alliance. It focused on improving security in areas where Taliban extremists, narco-traffickers and other elements were trying to destabilize the government of Afghanistan, and on empowering village elders. The overarching purpose was to assist the government in improving its ability to begin reconstruction and economic development in the area. Strategically, the goal was also to enable the government to begin the
Kajaki
Kajaki is a village in southern Afghanistan, and is split between two townsteads, Kajaki 'Olya, and Kajaki Sofla. It is the district centre of Kajaki District in Helmand Province. North east of the village is an important hydro power station fo ...
hydro-energy project.
* On 2 June 2008, General
David D. McKiernan, U.S. Army, assumed command of ISAF. its troops numbered around 55,100.
There were troops from 26 NATO, 10 partner and two non-NATO/non-partner countries,
* On 6–7 February 2009, U.K, forces mounted
Operation Diesel
Operation Diesel was a raid by 700 British troops from the Royal Marines 45 Commando, 42 Commando, and the 3 Commando Brigade's Reconnaissance Force, as well as armoured infantry and close reconnaissance from 1st Battalion Princess of Wale ...
raid in Helmand province.
* On 27 April – 19 May 2009, ISAF launched Operations Zafar and Zafar 2 in the Helmand Province. Operation Zafar lasted one week and Operation Zafar 2 lasted four days. Both operations were in preparation for
Operation Panther's Claw
Operation Panchai Palang, or Panther's Claw, was a British-led military operation of the War in Afghanistan in Helmand Province in southern Afghanistan. It aimed to secure various canal and river crossings to establish a permanent Internation ...
.
* On 29 May 2009, ISAF launched
Operation Mar Lewe around the village of Yatimchay, six kilometers (3.7 mi) south of
Musa Qaleh in Helmand Province. Operation Mar Lewe lasted three days. "Mar Lewe" is
Pashto
Pashto (,; , ) is an Eastern Iranian language in the Indo-European language family. It is known in historical Persian literature as Afghani ().
Spoken as a native language mostly by ethnic Pashtuns, it is one of the two official languages ...
for "snake wolf."
* On 15 June 2009, General
Stanley A. McChrystal
Stanley Allen McChrystal (born August 14, 1954) is a retired United States Army general best known for his command of Joint Special Operations Command (JSOC) from 2003 to 2008 where his organization was credited with the death of Abu Musab al-Zarq ...
, U.S. Army, assumed command of NATO forces.
* On 19 June 2009, ISAF launched
Operation Panther's Claw
Operation Panchai Palang, or Panther's Claw, was a British-led military operation of the War in Afghanistan in Helmand Province in southern Afghanistan. It aimed to secure various canal and river crossings to establish a permanent Internation ...
to secure control of various canal and river crossings in Helmand Province and to establish a lasting ISAF presence in an area described by Lt. Col. Richardson as "one of the main Taliban strongholds" ahead of the 2009 Afghan presidential election.
* On 2 July 2009, ISAF launched
Operation Strike of the Sword
Operation Strike of the Sword or Operation Khanjar was a US-led offensive in Helmand province in southern Afghanistan
Afghanistan, officially the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan,; prs, امارت اسلامی افغانستان is a la ...
or
Operation Khanjar
Operation Strike of the Sword or Operation Khanjar was a US-led offensive in Helmand province in southern Afghanistan. About 4,000 U.S. Marines, Marines from the 2nd Marine Expeditionary Brigade as well as 650 Afghan National Army, Afghan troops ...
in Helmand Province. This operation was the largest
U.S. Marine offensive since the battle of
Fallujah,
Iraq
Iraq,; ku, عێراق, translit=Êraq officially the Republic of Iraq, '; ku, کۆماری عێراق, translit=Komarî Êraq is a country in Western Asia. It is bordered by Turkey to Iraq–Turkey border, the north, Iran to Iran–Iraq ...
–
Operation Phantom Fury
The Second Battle of Fallujah, codenamed Operation al-Fajr ( ar, الفجر, ) and Operation Phantom Fury, was an American-led offensive of the Iraq War that lasted roughly 6 weeks, starting 7th November, 2004. Marking the highest point of the ...
in 2004.
* Beginning 2010 the
Afghanistan Mission Network became the primary information sharing platform for all troops in Afghanistan in support of General McChrystal's counterinsurgency campaign.
* On 23 June 2010, Lieutenant General Sir
Nick Parker
General Sir Nicholas Ralph Parker, (born 13 October 1954) is a former British Army officer who served as Commander Land Forces (formerly Commander-in-Chief, Land Forces) until December 2012.
As a general officer, Parker served in Northern Irel ...
, British Army, former deputy commander of ISAF, assumed interim command after the resignation of General McChrystal.
* On 4 July 2010, General
David Petraeus
David Howell Petraeus (; born November 7, 1952) is a retired United States Army general and public official. He served as Director of the Central Intelligence Agency from September 6, 2011, until his resignation on November 9, 2012. Prior to ...
, U.S. Army, assumed command of NATO forces; Petraeus was formally approved by the
US Senate
The United States Senate is the upper chamber of the United States Congress, with the House of Representatives being the lower chamber. Together they compose the national bicameral legislature of the United States.
The composition and powe ...
to replace McChrystal on 30 June 2010.
Colombia
Colombia (, ; ), officially the Republic of Colombia, is a country in South America with insular regions in North America—near Nicaragua's Caribbean coast—as well as in the Pacific Ocean. The Colombian mainland is bordered by the Car ...
had planned to deploy around 100 soldiers in Spring 2009. These forces were expected to be de-mining experts. General
Freddy Padilla de Leon announced to
CBS
CBS Broadcasting Inc., commonly shortened to CBS, the abbreviation of its former legal name Columbia Broadcasting System, is an American commercial broadcast television and radio network serving as the flagship property of the CBS Entertainm ...
News that operators of Colombia's Special Forces Brigade were scheduled to be deployed to Afghanistan in either August or September 2009. However, the Colombians were not listed as part of the force as of June 2011.
Three NATO states announced withdrawal plans beginning in 2010.
Canada in 2011,
Poland
Poland, officially the Republic of Poland, is a country in Central Europe. It is divided into 16 administrative provinces called voivodeships, covering an area of . Poland has a population of over 38 million and is the fifth-most populous ...
, in 2012, and the United Kingdom in 2010. Between 1 July 2014, and August,
Regional Command Capital
In geography, regions, otherwise referred to as zones, lands or territories, are areas that are broadly divided by physical characteristics (physical geography), human impact characteristics (human geography), and the interaction of humanity and t ...
and
Regional Command West were re-designated
Train Advise and Assist Command Capital
In rail transport, a train (from Old French , from Latin , "to pull, to draw") is a series of connected vehicles that run along a railway track and transport people or freight. Trains are typically pulled or pushed by locomotives (often know ...
(TAAC Capital) and TAAC West. The United States ended combat operations in Afghanistan in December 2014. Sizable advisory forces would remain to train and mentor
Afghan National Security Forces, and NATO will continue operating under the
Resolute Support Mission
Resolute Support Mission (RSM) or Operation Resolute Support was a NATO-led multinational mission in Afghanistan. It began on 1 January 2015 as the successor to the International Security Assistance Force (ISAF), which was completed on 28 Decem ...
. ISAF Joint Command, in its final deployment provided by Headquarters
XVIII Airborne Corps
The XVIII Airborne Corps is a corps of the United States Army that has been in existence since 1942 and saw extensive service during World War II. The corps is designed for rapid deployment anywhere in the world and is referred to as "America ...
, ceased operations ahead of the end of the NATO combat mission on 8 December 2014.
Security and reconstruction
From 2006, the insurgency by the Taliban intensified, especially in the southern
Pashtun
Pashtuns (, , ; ps, پښتانه, ), also known as Pakhtuns or Pathans, are an Iranian ethnic group who are native to the geographic region of Pashtunistan in the present-day countries of Afghanistan and Pakistan. They were historically re ...
parts of the country, areas that were the Taliban's original power base in the mid‑1990s. After ISAF took over command of the south on 31 July 2006, British, Dutch, Canadian and Danish ISAF soldiers in the provinces of
Helmand
Helmand (Pashto/Dari: ; ), also known as Hillmand, in ancient times, as Hermand and Hethumand, is one of the 34 provinces of Afghanistan, in the south of the country. It is the largest province by area, covering area. The province contains 13 ...
,
Uruzgan
Uruzgan ( Dari), also spelled as Urozgan or Oruzgan, is one of the thirty-four provinces of Afghanistan. Uruzgan is located in the center of the country. The population is 436,079, and the province is mostly a tribal society. Tarinkot serves as ...
, and Kandahar came under almost daily attack. British commanders said that the fighting for them was the fiercest since the
Korean War
, date = {{Ubl, 25 June 1950 – 27 July 1953 (''de facto'')({{Age in years, months, weeks and days, month1=6, day1=25, year1=1950, month2=7, day2=27, year2=1953), 25 June 1950 – present (''de jure'')({{Age in years, months, weeks a ...
, 50 years previously. In an article, BBC reporter
Alastair Leithead, embedded with the British forces, called it "Deployed to Afghanistan's hell."
Because of the security situation in the south, and the mass rape and killings of Afghan woman by suspected Taliban, ISAF commanders asked member countries to send more troops. On 19 October, the Dutch government decided to send more troops because of increasing attacks by suspected Taliban on their
Task Force Uruzgan
Task Force Uruzgan (TFU) was Australia's and the Netherlands' contribution to NATO's Regional Command South, International Security Assistance Force, in Afghanistan. The Dutch led one of the four Provincial Reconstruction Teams in the southern reg ...
, making it difficult to complete the reconstruction work that they sought to accomplish. Derogatory alternative acronyms for the ISAF were created by critics, including "I Saw Americans Fighting," "I Suck at Fighting," and "In Sandals and Flip Flops."
ISAF and the illegal opium economy
![Afghanistan map - security by district and opium poppy cultivation by province 2007 - 2008](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/4/4e/Afghanistan_map_-_security_by_district_and_opium_poppy_cultivation_by_province_2007_-_2008.png)
Prior to October 2008, ISAF had only served an indirect role in fighting the illegal
opium economy in Afghanistan through shared intelligence with the Afghan government, protection of Afghan poppy crop eradication units and helping in the coordination and the implementation of the country's counter-narcotics policy. For example, Dutch soldiers used military force to protect eradication units that came under attack.
Crop eradication often affects the poorest farmers who have no economic alternatives on which to fall back. Without alternatives, these farmers no longer can feed their families, causing anger, frustration, and social protest. Thus, being associated with this counterproductive drug policy, ISAF soldiers on the ground found it difficult to gain the support of the local population.
[The Washington Quarterly](_blank)
Poppies for Peace: Reforming Afghanistan's Opium Industry
Though problematic for NATO, this indirect role allowed NATO to avoid the opposition of the local population who depended on the poppy fields for their livelihood. In October 2008, NATO altered its position in an effort to curb the financing of insurgency by the Taliban. Drug laboratories and drug traders became the targets, and not the poppy fields themselves.
In order to satisfy France, Italy and Germany, the deal involved the participation in an anti-drug campaign only of willing NATO member countries; the campaign was to be short-lived and with the cooperation of the Afghans.
On 10 October 2008, during a news conference, after an informal meeting of NATO Defense Ministers in Budapest, Hungary, NATO Spokesman James Appathurai said:
Military and civilian casualties
ISAF military casualties, and the civilian casualties caused by the war and Coalition/ISAF
friendly fire
In military terminology, friendly fire or fratricide is an attack by belligerent or neutral forces on friendly troops while attempting to attack enemy/hostile targets. Examples include misidentifying the target as hostile, cross-fire while eng ...
, became a major political issue, both in Afghanistan and in the troop contributing nations. Increasing civilian casualties threatened the stability of
President
President most commonly refers to:
*President (corporate title)
*President (education), a leader of a college or university
*President (government title)
President may also refer to:
Automobiles
* Nissan President, a 1966–2010 Japanese ful ...
Hamid Karzai's government. Consequently, effective from 2 July 2009, coalition air and ground combat operations were ordered to take steps to minimize Afghan civilian casualties in accordance with a tactical directive issued by General
Stanley A. McChrystal
Stanley Allen McChrystal (born August 14, 1954) is a retired United States Army general best known for his command of Joint Special Operations Command (JSOC) from 2003 to 2008 where his organization was credited with the death of Abu Musab al-Zarq ...
,
USA
The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territori ...
, the commander of the International Security Assistance Force in Afghanistan.
Another issue over the years has been numerous 'insider' attacks involving Afghan soldiers opening fire on ISAF soldiers. While these diminished, in part due to the planned ending of combat operations on 31 December 2014, they continued to occur, albeit at a lower frequency. On 5 August 2014, a gunman believed to have been an Afghan soldier opened fire on a number of international soldiers, killing a U.S. general,
Harold J. Greene, and wounding about 15 officers and soldiers, including a German brigadier general and several U.S. soldiers, at a training academy near Kabul.
ISAF command structure as of 2011
Throughout the four different regional stages of ISAF the number of
Provincial Reconstruction Team
A Provincial Reconstruction Team (PRT) was a unit introduced by the United States government, consisting of military officers, diplomats, and reconstruction subject matter experts, working to support reconstruction efforts in unstable states. PRT ...
s (PRTs) grew. The expansion of ISAF, to November 2006, to all provinces of the country brought the total number of PRTs to twenty-five. The twenty-fifth PRT, at
Wardak, was established that month and was led by Turkey.
Allied Joint Force Command Brunssum, at
Brunssum, the Netherlands, was ISAF's superior NATO headquarters.
[NATO OTAN](_blank)
Allied Joint Force Command Brunssum – (ISAF) The headquarters of ISAF was located in Kabul. In October 2010, there were 6 Regional Commands, each with subordinate Task Forces and Provincial Reconstruction Teams. The lower strength numbers of the ISAF forces were as 6 October 2008.
[ International Security Assistance Force] The numbers also reflected the situation in the country. The north and west were relatively calm, while ISAF and Afghan forces in the south and east came under almost daily attack. In December 2014 the force reportedly numbered 18,636 from 48 states.
![Bagram Control Tower](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/3/3f/Bagram_Control_Tower.jpg)
* ISAF HQ at Kabul (Composite)
** Commander ISAF directed three subordinate formations after a 2009 reorganisation. The Intermediate Joint Command (sometimes reported as ISAF Joint Command) has been established to run the tactical battle, on the lines of
Multi-National Corps Iraq
Multinational may refer to:
* Multinational corporation, a corporate organization operating in multiple countries
* Multinational force, a military body from multiple countries
* Multinational state, a sovereign state that comprises two or more na ...
. Lieutenant General
James L. Terry commanded the IJC from 2012 to 2013.
V Corps 5th Corps, Fifth Corps, or V Corps may refer to:
France
* 5th Army Corps (France)
* V Cavalry Corps (Grande Armée), a cavalry unit of the Imperial French Army during the Napoleonic Wars
* V Corps (Grande Armée), a unit of the Imperial French Ar ...
was being deployed from Germany to provide the IJC headquarters. Commander ISAF also supervised the
NATO Training Mission-Afghanistan
The NATO Training Mission-Afghanistan (NTM-A) was a multinational military organisation, activated in November 2009, tasked with providing a higher-level training for the Afghan National Army (ANA) and Afghan Air Force (AAF), including defense ...
and Special Operations Forces. The
New Zealand Special Air Service
The 1st New Zealand Special Air Service Regiment, abbreviated as 1 NZSAS Regt, was formed on 7 July 1955 and is the Special forces unit of the New Zealand Army, closely modelled on the British Special Air Service (SAS). It traces its origins to ...
deployed in 2009
and remained there until March 2012,
after previous deployments as part of
Operation Enduring Freedom.
*
Regional Command Capital
In geography, regions, otherwise referred to as zones, lands or territories, are areas that are broadly divided by physical characteristics (physical geography), human impact characteristics (human geography), and the interaction of humanity and t ...
(Kabul) (approx. strength: 5,420)
** The command of this region rotated among Turkey, France, and Italy. In November 2009, Turkey was the leading nation in this region. The headquarters was in Kabul. On 31 October 2009 the Turkish Brigadier General Levent ÇOLAK took over command from a French Brigadier General. Most of the
French forces in Afghanistan
French forces in Afghanistan were involved in the War in Afghanistan from late 2001, until fully withdrawing by 2014. They operated within two distinct frameworks:
* the International Security Assistance Force (ISAF), carried out by NATO on a Unit ...
are in RC‑C. Strength in 2010 was approximately 6,150, including three battalions in Kabul. Nearly all the more than forty contributors had troops deployed to Kabul. The city was under joint Afghan/coalition control from 2002 but came repeatedly under attacks of insurgent fighters.
**
Kabul International Airport
, nativename-r =
, image = Flightline at Kabul International Airport.jpeg
, caption = The flightline at Kabul International Airport in January 2012
, IATA = KBL
, ICAO = OAKB
, ...
KAIA (Belgium, Hungary, Greece, Hungary from December 2010)
*** In October 2009, the Bulgarian Infantry Company, part of the Bulgarian contingent (
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 ...
,
Kandahar
Kandahar (; Kandahār, , Qandahār) is a 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 of about 614,118. It is the c ...
) provided the security of the outer perimeter of
KAIA Kaia or KAIA may refer to:
* Kaia (name), including a list of people with the name
* KaiA, a gene
* KAIA (group), a Filipino girl group
* KAIA (FM), radio station (91.5 FM) licensed to Blytheville, Arkansas, United States
* King Abdulaziz Intern ...
, the so‑called Ground Defence Area – GDA. The Bulgarian company was under the command of the
Belgium
Belgium, ; french: Belgique ; german: Belgien officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a country in Northwestern Europe. The country is bordered by the Netherlands to the north, Germany to the east, Luxembourg to the southeast, France to th ...
Force Protection Group.
*
Regional Command North
In geography, regions, otherwise referred to as zones, lands or territories, are areas that are broadly divided by physical characteristics (physical geography), human impact characteristics (human geography), and the interaction of humanity and t ...
(approx. 4,400)
** HQ RC(N),
Camp Marmal
Camp Marmal was an installation of the Afghan Armed Forces. It was adjacent to Maulana Jalaluddin Balkhi International Airport in Mazar-i-Sharif, Afghanistan, at the foot of the Hindu Kush mountains. The camp was opened in September 2005. The ca ...
, HQ Mazar-i-Sharif,
Balkh province
Balkh (Dari: , ''Balx'') is one of the 34 provinces of Afghanistan, located in the north of the country. It is divided into 15 districts and has a population of about 1,509,183, which is multi-ethnic and mostly a Persian-speaking society. The c ...
** RC‑N was led by Germany. On 30 November 2009 the German Brigadier General Frank Leidenberger took over command of RC‑North. Strength: appx. 5,750, to be raised. Other forces in RC‑N include units from the United States of America,
Croatia
, image_flag = Flag of Croatia.svg
, image_coat = Coat of arms of Croatia.svg
, anthem = "Lijepa naša domovino"("Our Beautiful Homeland")
, image_map =
, map_caption =
, capit ...
, Norway, Belgium, Sweden, and Hungary et al. The situation within the Command deteriorated, and fighting included Kunduz (the
Kunduz Province Campaign
The following addresses the events in Northern Afghanistan between April 2009 and 2014. While this part of the country had long been relatively peaceful compared to the all-out war zones of the south and east, tensions would flare up again i ...
), as well as Faryab in the northwest.
** Manoeuvre battalions, including QRF
** Task Force 47 (special forces, see
:de:Task Force 47)
** PRT MAZAR-I-SHARIF in Balkh province (Sweden and Finland)
** PRT FEYZABAD (DEU) in
Badakhshan province
Badakhshan Province (Persian/ Uzbek: , ''Badaxšān'') is one of the 34 provinces of Afghanistan, located in the northeastern part of the country. It is bordered by Tajikistan's Gorno-Badakhshan in the north and the Pakistani regions of Lower ...
(Germany)
** PRT KONDUZ in
Kunduz province
Qunduz (Dari: ) is one of the 34 provinces of Afghanistan, located in the northern part of the country next to Tajikistan. The population of the province is around 1,136,677, which is mostly a tribal society; it is one of Afghanistan's most ethni ...
(Germany)
** PRT POL-E KHOMRI in
Baghlan Province (Hungary)
**
PRT Meymaneh
The Provincial Reconstruction Team in Meymaneh was an International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) command; it existed between 2004 and 2012. It was classified by NATO, as a "Provincial Reconstruction Team". It consisted of soldiers and civilia ...
in
Faryab Province
Faryab (Dari: ) is one of the thirty-four provinces of Afghanistan, which is located in the north of the country bordering neighboring Turkmenistan. It has a population of about 1,109,223, which is multi-ethnic and mostly a tribal society. The pr ...
(Norway)
*
Regional Command West (approx. 2,980)
** HQ RC(W) in Herat,
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 ...
(Italy)
** Commander in May 2010 Brig.Gen. Claudio Berto (ITA). Strength: appx 4,440
** Forward Support Base HERAT (Spain)
** Manoeuvre elements, Task Force 45 (special forces task force see
:it:Task Force 45)
** PRT HERAT in Herat province (Italy)
**
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 w ...
, Herat province
** PRT FARAH in
Farah province
Farah (Dari: , ''Farā'') is one of the 34 provinces of Afghanistan, located in the southwestern part of the country next to Iran. It is a spacious and sparsely populated province, divided into eleven districts and contains hundreds of villages. ...
(USA)
** PRT QALA-E-NOW in
Badghis province (Spain)
**
Chaghcharan Provincial Reconstruction Team (
Ghor province) (Lithuania) (In June 2005, ISAF established in Chaghcharan, the capital of Ghor province, a Lithuanian PRT in which Danish, US and Icelandic troops also served.)
*
Regional Command South
In geography, regions, otherwise referred to as zones, lands or territories, are areas that are broadly divided by physical characteristics (physical geography), human impact characteristics (human geography), and the interaction of humanity and t ...
(approx. 35,000)
** HQ RC(S) at Kandahar Airfield in
Kandahar Province
Kandahār ( ps, ; Kandahār, prs, ; ''Qandahār'') is one of the thirty-four provinces of Afghanistan, located in the southern part of the country, sharing a border with Pakistan, to the south. It is surrounded by Helmand in the west, Uruzgan ...
** Forward Support Base Kandahar (Multinational)
** Combined Task Force Fury
** Combined Task Force Lancer
** Combined Task Force 4-2 (2012–13)
** Combined Team Uruzgan
** Kandahar PRT in
Kandahar City
Kandahar (; Kandahār, , Qandahār) is a 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 of about 614,118. It is the ca ...
(Canada, USA)
** Uruzgan PRT in
Tarin Kowt
Tarīnkōṭ ( prs, ترين کوت), also spelled as Tarin Kowt, is the capital of Uruzgan Province in southern Afghanistan in the Tarinkot District. Tarinkot city has a population of 71,604 (2015), with some 200 small shops in the city's bazaa ...
,
Uruzgan Province
Uruzgan (Dari), also spelled as Urozgan or Oruzgan, is one of the thirty-four provinces of Afghanistan. Uruzgan is located in the center of the country. The population is 436,079, and the province is mostly a tribal society. Tarinkot serves as t ...
(United States, Australia)
** Zabul PRT in
Qalat, Zabul Province (USA, Romania)
** Regional Command South also included the provinces of
Nimruz
Nimruz or Nimroz (Dari: ; Balochi: ) is one of the 34 provinces of Afghanistan, located in the southwestern part of the country. It lies to the east of the Sistan and Baluchestan Province of Iran and north of Balochistan, Pakistan, also borde ...
and
Daykundi
Daykundi ( prs, دایکندی) also spelled as Daikundi, Daykondi, Daikondi or Dai Kundi, is one of the thirty-four provinces of Afghanistan, located in the central part of the country. It has a population of about 516,504, and is a Hazara Pro ...
*
Regional Command East
In geography, regions, otherwise referred to as zones, lands or territories, are areas that are broadly divided by physical characteristics (physical geography), human impact characteristics (human geography), and the interaction of humanity and t ...
(HQ
Bagram Airfield
Bagram Airfield-BAF, also known as Bagram Air Base , is located southeast of Charikar in the Parwan Province of Afghanistan. It is under the Afghan Ministry of Defense. Sitting on the site of the ancient Bagram at an elevation of above sea leve ...
) (approx. 18,800)
** Apart from additional manoeuvre elements, RC‑E headed 13 Provincial Reconstruction Teams (PRT) in the eastern and central provinces of Afghanistan. The headquarters was located in Bagram. Other forces in RC‑E included units from France, Turkey, New Zealand, Poland, and the
Czech Republic
The Czech Republic, or simply Czechia, is a landlocked country in Central Europe. Historically known as Bohemia, it is bordered by Austria to the south, Germany to the west, Poland to the northeast, and Slovakia to the southeast. The ...
. The province was a staging ground for costly engagements. Hotspots included Kapisa, Nurestan, and Konar. The commander also directs the U.S. national force Combined Joint Task Force 1. Lead nation and main contributor was the United States. Strength: appx. 23,950, to be raised.
**
Task Force White Eagle
Task Force White Eagle (in Polish referred as Polskie Siły Zadaniowe (Polish Task Force)) was a brigade sized detachment of Polish Land Forces in Ghazni Province, Afghanistan. The brigade was under the command of the US 1st Cavalry Division.Winid ...
(Polish forces' brigade in
Ghazni Province
Ghazni (Dari: ) is one of the 34 provinces of Afghanistan, located in southeastern Afghanistan. The province contains 19 districts, encompassing over a thousand villages and roughly 1.3 million people, making it the 5th most populous province. The ...
)
** Task Force 49 (ISAF SOF) in Ghazni province (Poland)
** Task Force 50 (ISAF SOF) in Ghazni province,
Paktika province
Paktika (Pashto/Dari: ) is one of the 34 provinces of Afghanistan, located in the eastern part of the country. Forming part of the larger Loya Paktia region, Paktika has a population of about 789,000, mostly ethnic Pashtuns. The town of Sharan ...
(Poland)
** Forward Support Base BAGRAM (USA)
** PRT KAPISA in Kapisa province at FOB Nijrab, a combined French/Afghan/American TF LaFayette
**
PRT Logar
Provincial Reconstruction Team Logar ( Czech: ''Provinční rekonstrukční tým Logar'') was a Provincial Reconstruction Team that was part of the International Security Assistance Force - an international military force in Afghanistan. PRT Logar ...
in
Logar province
Logar (Pashto/Dari: ; meaning Greater Mountain ( لوې غر)) is one of the 34 provinces of Afghanistan located in the eastern section of the country. It is divided into 7 districts and contains hundreds of villages. Puli Alam is the capital of ...
(Czech Republic)
** PRT SHARANA in
Paktika province
Paktika (Pashto/Dari: ) is one of the 34 provinces of Afghanistan, located in the eastern part of the country. Forming part of the larger Loya Paktia region, Paktika has a population of about 789,000, mostly ethnic Pashtuns. The town of Sharan ...
(USA)
** PRT KHOST in
Khost province
Khost (Pashto/Dari: ) is one of the 34 provinces of Afghanistan, located in the southeastern part of the country. Khost consists of thirteen districts and the city of Khost serves as the capital of the province. To the east, Khost Province is bord ...
(USA)
** PRT METHER LAM in
Laghman province
Laghman (Dari: ) is one of the 34 provinces of Afghanistan, located in the eastern part of the country. It has a population of about 502,148, which is multi-ethnic and mostly a rural society. Laghman hosts a large number of historical landmarks, m ...
(USA)
**
Bamiyan Provincial Reconstruction Team
Bamyan or Bamyan Valley (); ( prs, بامیان) also spelled Bamiyan or Bamian is the capital of Bamyan Province in central Afghanistan. Its population of approximately 70,000 people makes it the largest city in Hazarajat. Bamyan is at an alti ...
,
Bamiyan,
Bamiyan Province (under
New Zealand Defence Force
The New Zealand Defence Force (NZDF; mi, Te Ope Kātua o Aotearoa, "Line of Defence of New Zealand") are the armed forces of New Zealand. The NZDF is responsible for the protection of the national security of New Zealand and her realm, prom ...
command from 2003 – April 2013)
** PRT PANJSHIR in
Panjshir province
Panjshir (Dari: , literally "Five Lions," also spelled as Panjsher) is one of the thirty-four provinces of Afghanistan, located in the northeastern part of the country containing the Panjshir Valley. The province is divided into seven district ...
(USA)
** PRT JALALABAD in
Nangarhar province (USA)
** PRT GHAZNI in Ghazni province (Poland, USA)
** PRT ASADABAD in
Kunar Province
Kunar (Pashto: ; Dari: ) is one of the 34 provinces of Afghanistan, located in the northeastern part of the country. Its capital is Asadabad. Its population is estimated to be 508,224. Kunar's major political groups include Wahhabis or Ahl-e- Ha ...
(USA)
** PRT PARWAN (
Republic of Korea
South Korea, officially the Republic of Korea (ROK), is a country in East Asia, constituting the southern part of the Korean Peninsula and sharing a land border with North Korea. Its western border is formed by the Yellow Sea, while its east ...
)
** PRT NURISTAN in
Parun
Pârûn (Persian: پارون), also called Prasûn and Prasungul, is a small town and administrative center of Nuristan Province and its Parun District in Afghanistan.
The city of Parun has a population of 1,647. It has 1 district and a tot ...
(USA)
** PRT WARDAK in
Maidan Shar (Turkey)
** PRT GARDEZ in Paktia province (USA)
*
Regional Command Southwest
Regional Command Southwest, abbreviated RC(SW), was an international military formation, of roughly division size, which was one of the components of the International Security Assistance Force in Afghanistan. It was stood up on 3 July 2010 la ...
(HQ
Camp Leatherneck
Camp Leatherneck was a 1,600 acre United States Marine Corps base in Helmand Province, Afghanistan. The site was mostly in Washir District and was conjoined with Camp Bastion, which was the main British military base in Afghanistan and Camp Sho ...
) (approx. 27,000)
** Regional Command Southwest was established in July 2010. It was responsible for security in the Helmand and Nimroz provinces in southwestern Afghanistan. Along with the Afghan government and security forces, seven other nations contributes to RC (SW) to bring security to the region. Those nations included the United States, the United Kingdom,
Georgia
Georgia most commonly refers to:
* Georgia (country), a country in the Caucasus region of Eurasia
* Georgia (U.S. state), a state in the Southeast United States
Georgia may also refer to:
Places
Historical states and entities
* Related to the ...
, Denmark,
Bahrain
Bahrain ( ; ; ar, البحرين, al-Bahrayn, locally ), officially the Kingdom of Bahrain, ' is an island country in Western Asia. It is situated on the Persian Gulf, and comprises a small archipelago made up of 50 natural islands and an ...
, and
Estonia
Estonia, formally the Republic of Estonia, is a country by the Baltic Sea in Northern Europe. It is bordered to the north by the Gulf of Finland across from Finland, to the west by the sea across from Sweden, to the south by Latvia, a ...
. Marine Major General
Richard P. Mills, the commander of RC (SW), made history by being the first U.S. Marine to command a NATO regional command in combat.
**
Task Force Helmand
Task Force Helmand was the name given to a military unit of the International Security Assistance Force in Helmand Province, Afghanistan. Task Force Helmand was part of Regional Command Southwest and consisted primarily of personnel from the Briti ...
(U.K. forces in central and northeast Helmand Province)
***A Danish battle group, operated with British forces in the Green Zone in the central part of Helmand Province. The battle group consisted of two mechanized infantry companies, a tank platoon and a flight of helicopters, plus combat support and support units.
**
Task Force Leatherneck
Task Force Leatherneck or MEB-Afghanistan is a Marine Air-Ground Task Force that operated in Helmand Province, Afghanistan. The name was originally given to the 2nd Marine Expeditionary Brigade during its 2009-10 operations for Operation Endur ...
(U.S. Marines in northern, southern, and western Helmand Province)
**
Helmand Provincial Reconstruction Team
The Helmand Provincial Reconstruction Team (HPRT) was established in September 2004. It was led by the US until 1 May 2006, when this responsibility was handed to the UK. HPRT ceased operations in Lashkar Gah on 27 December 2013.
Location
The ...
in
Lashkar Gah
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 ...
,
Helmand Province
Helmand (Pashto/Dari: ; ), also known as Hillmand, in ancient times, as Hermand and Hethumand, is one of the 34 provinces of Afghanistan
Afghanistan is divided into 34 provinces (, '' wilåyat''). The provinces of Afghanistan are the primar ...
(UK, Denmark, Estonia)
List of Commanders
The command of ISAF has rotated between officers of the participating nations. The first American took command in February 2007 and only Americans have commanded ISAF since that time.
Contributing nations
![US Army in Kapisa Province of Afghanistan](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/5/5b/US_Army_in_Kapisa_Province_of_Afghanistan.jpg)
All NATO member states have contributed troops to the ISAF, as well as some other partner states of the NATO alliance.
NATO states
![Romanian military convoy in Afghanistan](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/0/0d/Romanian_military_convoy_in_Afghanistan.JPEG)
* – On 28 July 2010, Albania sent 44 soldiers from the
Albanian Special Operations Battalion to engage in combat operations in the province of Kandahar alongside US and British special forces. The contingent was given the name "Eagle 1". On 25 January 2011, the second rotation consisting of 45 soldiers named "Eagle 2" was sent to Afghanistan following the return of the first, "Eagle 3" followed. On 16 January 2011, Albania sent its fourth mission codenamed "Eagle 4" to Kandahar. However, the main contingent was composed of a company under Italian command in the province of Herat. Albania also had a squad of soldiers under Turkish command in Kabul and a contribution to a joint medical team with the Czech contingent. The last contingent was composed of 222 soldiers of the 8th Regiment.
* – The Belgian mission was named BELU ISAF 21. Their main task was to provide security at
Kabul International Airport
, nativename-r =
, image = Flightline at Kabul International Airport.jpeg
, caption = The flightline at Kabul International Airport in January 2012
, IATA = KBL
, ICAO = OAKB
, ...
, while detachments (KUNDUZ 16) assisted in the northern PRTs of
Kunduz
, native_name_lang = prs
, other_name =
, settlement_type = City
, image_skyline = Kunduz River valley.jpg
, imagesize = 300
, image_alt =
, image_caption =
, image_ ...
and Mazar-i-Sharif. In September 2008, OGF 4 started: four
F‑16s with about 140 support personnel deployed. They operated from
Kandahar Airport
Ahmad Shah Baba International Airport, also referred to as Kandahar International Airport ( ps, د کندهار نړيوال هوايي ډګر) and by some military officials as Kandahar Airfield, KAF) , is located about south-east of the city Ka ...
. The Belgian Air Force operated in close cooperation with Dutch F-16 fighter jets already deployed there.
* – In December 2009, Bulgarian Minister of Defence
Nickolay Mladenov
Nikolay Evtimov Mladenov ( bg, Николай Евтимов Младенов; born 5 May 1972) is a Bulgarian politician and diplomat who served as Bulgaria's Minister of Defense from 27 July 2009 to 27 January 2010 and as the minister of forei ...
said that the Bulgarian contingent in Afghanistan, which was divided between two military bases in Kabul and Kandahar with a total of 602 soldiers, would be consolidated in Kandahar and that it could add an additional 100 troops in Afghanistan in 2010. In July 2011, Bulgaria sent 165 more soldiers bringing the total number to 767. Bulgarian troops participated in training the Afghan forces and providing security until their withdrawal in 2021.
* – Canadian Forces were actively engaged in fighting the Taliban in the south and suffered a high proportion of the
allied casualties. In 2006, with the situation in Kandahar Province turned increasingly violent, the Canadian Forces participated in
several operations and battles from the beginning of the war in Afghanistan in 2001. The
Royal Canadian Air Force
The Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF; french: Aviation royale canadienne, ARC) is the air and space force of Canada. Its role is to "provide the Canadian Forces with relevant, responsive and effective airpower". The RCAF is one of three environm ...
had a major presence in Afghanistan, including three
CC‑130 Hercules cargo planes, two
CP‑140 surveillance planes, six
CH‑147 Chinook transport helicopters, six
Mil Mi‑8 leased for one year from
Skylink Aviation
SkyLink Aviation Inc. is a Canadian-based international aviation group offering project management, air charters, aviation support, aircraft maintenance, air charter, flight planning and clearance services.
SkyLink Aviation has been contracted to ...
, eight
CH‑146 Griffon utility helicopters and three
CU‑170 Unmanned Aerial Vehicles. The
Canadian Army
The Canadian Army (french: Armée canadienne) is the command responsible for the operational readiness of the conventional ground forces of the Canadian Armed Forces. It maintains regular forces units at bases across Canada, and is also respo ...
increased their presence with main battle tanks, some ten
Leopard C2 and twenty
Leopard 2A6M CAN, approximately one hundred
LAV III armoured vehicles and six 155 mm
M777 howitzers. Canada has suffered 158 killed in Afghanistan. In 2011, all Canadian combat forces had withdrawn from Kandahar and relocated the bulk of their forces in Kabul, with detachments in RC North and RC West. Canada completed its participation in March 2014.
* – Croatian troops were involved in three locations. The Croatian parliament voted on extra troop numbers on 7 December with all parties supporting a troop increase, parliament also recognized that additional increases in troop numbers might be possible during 2011 and 2012 to help train local army and police units. Maximal number of Croatian soldiers in Afghanistan was about 450.
* –
Czech troops in Afghanistan were involved in four locations. In Czech combat units (special forces) in peak served 100–120 troops. In other non-combat military units, primarily engineering, medical, trainee, advisory or guard, served during all the tours about 4000 soldiers, medical staff, civilian engineers and other specialists. The largest unit was deployed as PRT Logar composed of 192 troops and 12 civilians in Logar Province, in place since 19 March 2008. Four
BMP‑2 IFVs were part of PRT Logar, however they were only involved in guarding the Shank Base due to their weak IED protection. 4
Pandur II were also part of PRT Logar, which were actively used in operations. The
Iveco LMV
Iveco LMV (Light Multirole Vehicle) is a 4WD tactical vehicle developed by Iveco, and in service with several countries. After its adoption by the Italian Army as the ''Veicolo-Tattico-Leggero-Multiruolo'' (VTLM) ''Lince'' ("Light tactical multi ...
was the most commonly used vehicle by the Czech Armed Forces all over Afghanistan. The Field Hospital at Kabul Airport was deployed in March 2007 and consisted of 81 medical and 30 NBC protection personnel. Eight helicopter pilots and technicians were part of the Operational Mentoring and Liaison Team (OMLT). Also, four weather forecast specialists and two air traffic controllers were part of the Czech contingent deployed to Kabul International Airport. A third unit was sent to Afghanistan at the end of April 2007, and involved 350 members of the Czech Military Police Special Operations Group, who were attached to British forces in the Southern Helmand province. A fourth unit was deployed in July 2008 and was composed of 63 troops who were in charge of force protection at Dutch FOB Hadrain in Uruzgan Province. The Czechs also donated 6 Mi‑17 and 6 Mi‑24 helicopters to the Afghan National Army, flew 3 Mi‑17 helicopters in Pakitika Province and announced the deployment of one
C‑295 in 2011. Nine Czech soldiers have been killed in Afghanistan.
* – In Kandahar, Royal Danish Air Force (RDAF) personnel helped man the Kandahar Airfield Crisis Establishment (KAF CE), which ran the airfield. Danish troops were also deployed to other parts of Afghanistan. In northern Afghanistan approximately twenty troops served in the German-led PRT in Feyzabad. In western Afghanistan ten troops served in the Lithuanian led PRT in Chagcharan. There was also a small contribution to ISAF headquarters in Kabul and to the staffing of Kabul International Airport. There was also a RDAF presence with the NATO AWACS contingent in Mazar-i-Sharif. In Helmand Danish troops were involved in the worst fighting their armed forces have undertaken since the
Second Schleswig War
The Second Schleswig War ( da, Krigen i 1864; german: Deutsch-Dänischer Krieg) also sometimes known as the Dano-Prussian War or Prusso-Danish War was the second military conflict over the Schleswig-Holstein Question of the nineteenth century. T ...
of 1864. Denmark has lost 43 soldiers in Afghanistan since 2002. There was a Danish SOF Task Force operating in Lashkar Gar mentoring Afghan forces. A 2009 survey argued that Denmark had by far the highest count of casualties relative to population.
* – Most of the
Estonian Afghanistan Contingent was deployed to PRT Lashkar-Gah in Helmand, together with the forces of the United Kingdom and Denmark. 9 Estonian soldiers have been killed in Afghanistan.
* – French forces deployed in the Surobi District and to the
Kapisa Province
Kapisa (Pashto/Dari: ) is the smallest of Afghanistan's thirty-four provinces and is located in the north-east of the country. It has an estimated population of 496,840 people and an area of , making it the most densely populated province apar ...
under the command of the
Brigade La Fayette
The Brigade La Fayette, also named Task Force La Fayette, was a joint unit of the French forces in Afghanistan. It was officially created on 1 November 2009, along with a complete reorganisation of the French military deployment in Afghanistan. It ...
. Six French
Dassault Mirage 2000D
The Dassault Mirage 2000N is a variant of the Mirage 2000 designed for nuclear strike. It formed the core of the French air-based strategic nuclear deterrent. The Mirage 2000D is its conventional attack counterpart.
Development
The Mirage ...
fighters and two
C‑135F refueling aircraft were based at
Dushanbe Airport
tg, Фурудгоҳи Байналмилалии Душанбе
, nativename-a =
, nativename-r =
, image = Dushanbe_International_Airport.svg
, image-width = 100
, image2 = Dushanbe Airport.jpeg
, image2-width = 250
, ...
in
Dushanbe
Dushanbe ( tg, Душанбе, ; ; russian: Душанбе) is the capital and largest city of Tajikistan. , Dushanbe had a population of 863,400 and that population was largely Tajik. Until 1929, the city was known in Russian as Dyushambe (r ...
, Tajikistan but relocated to Kandahar on 26 September 2007. Two hundred naval, air force, and army special forces personnel were withdrawn from Southern Afghanistan in early 2007, but around 50 remained to train Afghan forces. On 26 February 2008 it was reported that Paris would deploy troops to the east to free up American soldiers, who would then be able to assist Canadian forces in Kandahar. Shortly afterwards, 700 troops were deployed to reinforce Surobi and Kapisa. The deployment marked a significant change in French policy in Afghanistan. It was later announced that 100 additional troops and
Aérospatiale Gazelle
The Aérospatiale Gazelle (company designations SA 340, SA 341 and SA 342) is a French five-seat helicopter, commonly used for light transport, scouting and light attack duties. It is powered by a single Turbomeca Astazou turbine engine and was ...
helicopters would be sent to the country. France decided to send Eurocopter Tiger attack helicopters to Afghanistan in the second quarter of 2009. In April 2010, French president
Nicolas Sarkozy
Nicolas Paul Stéphane Sarközy de Nagy-Bocsa (; ; born 28 January 1955) is a French politician who served as President of France from 2007 to 2012.
Born in Paris, he is of Hungarian, Greek Jewish, and French origin. Mayor of Neuilly-sur-Se ...
ruled out sending additional troops to Afghanistan in the near future. 88 French troops have been killed in Afghanistan. An additional OMLT of 250 arrived in October 2010, bringing the number of French forces in Afghanistan to 4,000. The remaining troops are to be withdrawn by the end of 2012.
* – The German
Bundeswehr
The ''Bundeswehr'' (, meaning literally: ''Federal Defence'') is the armed forces of the Federal Republic of Germany. The ''Bundeswehr'' is divided into a military part (armed forces or ''Streitkräfte'') and a civil part, the military part con ...
led
Regional Command North
In geography, regions, otherwise referred to as zones, lands or territories, are areas that are broadly divided by physical characteristics (physical geography), human impact characteristics (human geography), and the interaction of humanity and t ...
based in Mazar-i-Sharif. The task of the German forces was to assist the Afghan government with security and reconstruction in the four northern provinces of Kunduz,
Takhar
Takhar or Taahkarr (in Serer and Cangin) is a demi-god in the Serer religion worshipped by many Serers (an ethnic group found in Senegal, the Gambia and Mauritania). "Folk-Lore In The old Testament. Studies In Comparative Religion Legend and L ...
,
Baghlan
Baghlan (Dari: بغلان ''Baġlān'') is a city in northern Afghanistan, in the eponymous province, Baghlan Province. It is located three miles east of the Kunduz River, 35 miles south of Khanabad, and about 500 metres above sea level in the ...
and Badakhshan. Germany leads the Provincial Reconstruction Teams in the provinces of Kunduz and Badakhshan. The mandate issued by the Bundestag does not allow the Bundeswehr to take part in combat operations against the
Taliban insurgency
{{Infobox military conflict
, partof = the War in Afghanistan (2001–2021) and the Afghanistan conflict
, image = 2021 Taliban Offensive.png
, image_size = 300px
, caption = Map of the 2021 Taliban of ...
in the south and east of Afghanistan, other than in exceptional circumstances. However, German troops together with allied forces of Regional Command North have conducted own combat operations in northern and northeast Afghanistan, inflicting as many as 650 casualties upon insurgents. Germany has agreed to send 850 additional troops in 2010, raising the mandate ceiling to 5,350 troops. 53 German troops and 3 police officers have been killed in Afghanistan. 156 service members have been wounded in action. In the
2006 German troops controversy, 23 German soldiers were accused of posing with human skulls in Afghanistan. Following the
Kunduz airstrike on two captured
fuel tanker
A tank truck, gas truck, fuel truck, or tanker truck (American English) or tanker (British English) is a motor vehicle designed to carry liquids or gases on roads. The largest such vehicles are similar to railroad tank cars, which are also desi ...
s, which killed over 100 civilians, Germany reclassified the Afghanistan deployment in February 2010 as an "armed conflict within the parameters of international law", allowing German forces to act without risk of prosecution under German law.
* – ΕΛΔΑΦ was established as a Unit at the headquarters of the 71st Brigade on January 14, 2002, in the context of Greece's participation in the International Security Assistance Force (ISAF). It included the Special Battalion of Engineers (ELMHEA) and a security personnel element. In June 2005, the mission was renamed ΤΕΣΑΦ (Afghanistan Special Forces Battalion) and in conjunction with the 299 ΚΙΧΝΕ ( Mobile Army Surgical Hospital), they formed the ΕΛΔΑΦ-2. A total of 3,295 officers (524 officers and 2,771 non-commissioned officers) served in ΕΛΔΑΦ-2, while a total of 28 senior officers served as commanders. The work of the Hellenic Force in Afghanistan included the distribution of humanitarian aid and medical supplies, the reconstruction of government buildings, the maintenance of public works and the reconstruction of schools. ΤΕΝΞ (Landmine Clearance Battalion) cleared landmine fields and worked on the disposal of explosives remnants . Engineer personnel and equipment were also provided for the release of Afghan civilians from the rubble of Kabul Hospital, which collapsed on July 26, 2004. The Greek presence in Afghanistan ended in July 2021, when the last 4 assisting officers left the country.
* – The Hungarian infantry unit was situated in Kabul, however, on 1 October 2006, Hungary requisitioned its forces and took over responsibility from the Dutch for the Provincial Reconstruction Team in the town of
Pul‑e Khumri, the capital of Baghlan province. Since 1 October 2008, one of the tasks of the Hungarians is to provide security at Kabul International Airport. In 2008 Hungarian special forces deployed to South Afghanistan to special reconnaissance and patrol operations. In 2010 Budapest adds 200 soldiers to the 340 troops it already has in Afghanistan working in reconstruction and training. Six Hungarian soldiers have been killed in Afghanistan.
* – Icelandic personnel are stationed at ISAF HQ at Kabul International Airport.
* – Italian troops currently lead Regional Command West and the PRT in Herat Province. Although the mandate issued by the
Parliament of Italy
The Italian Parliament ( it, Parlamento italiano) is the national parliament of the Italian Republic. It is the representative body of Italian citizens and is the successor to the Parliament of the Kingdom of Italy (1861–1943), the transitiona ...
does not allow Italian forces to take part in the battle against the Taliban insurgency in the south and east of Afghanistan, other than in exceptional circumstances, the former Italian Minister of Defense
Ignazio La Russa
Ignazio Benito Maria La Russa (born 18 July 1947) is an Italian politician who is serving as President of the Senate of the Republic since 13 October 2022. He is the first politician with a neo-fascist background to hold the position of Presid ...
has officially stated in July 2008 that such combat activities have indeed taken place over the last year in the Farah area. An Italian contingent including 9 helicopters
Agusta A129 Mangusta
The Agusta A129 Mangusta ( en, Mongoose) is an attack helicopter originally designed and produced by Italian company Agusta. It is the first attack helicopter to be designed and produced wholly in Europe. It has continued to be developed by Agus ...
, 2
C‑27 Spartan, 1 C‑130, 3
AB‑212, 3 CH‑47. Additionally, in April 2008, 4
AMX International AMX
The AMX International AMX is a ground-attack aircraft jointly developed by Brazil and Italy. The AMX is designated A-11 Ghibli by the Italian Air Force and A-1 by the Brazilian Air Force. The Italian name, "Ghibli", is taken from the hot dry ...
reconnaissance jets and 3 helicopters
AB‑412, with corresponding 250 personnel (also included), were deployed to Kabul in support of ISAF combat operations in the country. In February 2009 the Italian government decided to boost its contingent by 800 to help out with police training and economic development. A thousand more soldiers were sent in Afghanistan in 2010, for 3,800 in total. Italy has suffered 53 casualties in Afghanistan.
* – Latvian troops were divided between Kabul and the PRTs in Mazar-i-Sharif and Meymaneh as of December 2007. A number of special operations forces operate in the restive south. Three Latvian soldiers have been killed in Afghanistan.
*
*
* – Stationed at two bases, Pol-e-Khomri and Marmal.
* – The Netherlands deployed aircraft as part of the European Participating Air Force (EPAF) in support of ground operations in Afghanistan. The Netherlands deployed further troops and helicopters to Afghanistan in 2006 as part of a new operation in the south.
Dutch ground and air forces totaled almost 2,000 personnel during 2006, taking part in combat operations alongside British and Canadian forces in the south. The Netherlands has suffered 21 casualties in Afghanistan. The Netherlands announced in December 2007 that it would begin withdrawing its troops, mainly in Uruzgan, in July 2010. A handover to the United States and Australia took place on 1 August 2010, formally ending the Dutch combat phase. The return of vehicles and other equipment was planned to take five more months.
* – Norwegian troops are divided between
Meymaneh in Faryab province where they lead a
Provincial Reconstruction Team
A Provincial Reconstruction Team (PRT) was a unit introduced by the United States government, consisting of military officers, diplomats, and reconstruction subject matter experts, working to support reconstruction efforts in unstable states. PRT ...
, and Mazar-i-Sharif, where they operate alongside Swedish forces. Four
Royal Norwegian Air Force
The Royal Norwegian Air Force (RNoAF) ( no, Luftforsvaret, , The Air Defence) is the air force of Norway. It was established as a separate arm of the Norwegian Armed Forces on 10 November 1944. The RNoAF's peacetime establishment is approximatel ...
F‑16s operated from Kabul during 2006. Decisions have been made to reinforce the Norwegian contribution with 150 special forces, an aeromedical detachment of three Bell 412 helicopters and around 60 personnel from
339 Squadron to be based at Camp Meymaneh for 18 months from 1 April 2008, and 50 troops tasked with training Afghan soldiers. After the
attack on the Serena Hotel on 14 January 2008, the decision was made to send a team of military explosives experts to Kabul. Nine Norwegian soldiers have been killed while on duty.
* – The Polish brigade-level
Task Force White Eagle
Task Force White Eagle (in Polish referred as Polskie Siły Zadaniowe (Polish Task Force)) was a brigade sized detachment of Polish Land Forces in Ghazni Province, Afghanistan. The brigade was under the command of the US 1st Cavalry Division.Winid ...
was responsible for the province of Ghazni. The task force was based in five different locations around the province: FOB Warrior, COP Qarabagh, FB Giro, FB Four Corners and FOB Ghazni. The Polish contingent operated 70
Rosomak wheeled armoured vehicles and 40
Cougars
The cougar (''Puma concolor'') is a large cat native to the Americas. Its range spans from the Canadian Yukon to the southern Andes in South America and is the most widespread of any large wild terrestrial mammal in the Western Hemisphere. ...
on loan from the United States. Additionally, 4
Mil Mi‑24 and 4
Mil Mi‑17 were in use. In December 2009, the
Polish Ministry of Defence announced that as of April 2010 it would dispatch additional 60
Rosomaks, 5 Mi‑17 and 600 troops. The contingent would also include 400 backup troops based in Poland who could be deployed in Afghanistan at short notice. In March 2010, the Polish MoND announced that one battalion of the American
101st Airborne Division
The 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault) ("Screaming Eagles") is a light infantry division of the United States Army that specializes in air assault operations. It can plan, coordinate, and execute multiple battalion-size air assault operati ...
would be dispatched to Ghazni and would operate under Polish command. Thirty-seven Polish troops were killed in Afghanistan. Two Polish special forces units, TF‑49 and TF‑50, operated in
Ghazni Province
Ghazni (Dari: ) is one of the 34 provinces of Afghanistan, located in southeastern Afghanistan. The province contains 19 districts, encompassing over a thousand villages and roughly 1.3 million people, making it the 5th most populous province. The ...
and partially in
Paktika Province
Paktika (Pashto/Dari: ) is one of the 34 provinces of Afghanistan, located in the eastern part of the country. Forming part of the larger Loya Paktia region, Paktika has a population of about 789,000, mostly ethnic Pashtuns. The town of Sharan ...
.
* – Portuguese participation in operations in Afghanistan began in February 2002. A military health detachment composed of the three branches of the Armed Forces remained in Kabul for three months in a British ISAF campaign hospital. Followed by a C‑130 Detachment who acted from Karachi (Pakistan), between April and July of that year. In May 2004, Portugal became involved with a C‑130 Detachment and supporting staff of the
Portuguese Air Force
, colours =
, colours_label =
, march =
, mascot =
, anniversaries = 1 July
, equipment =
, equipment_label ...
, as meteorologists, firefighters, drivers, based at
Kabul International Airport
, nativename-r =
, image = Flightline at Kabul International Airport.jpeg
, caption = The flightline at Kabul International Airport in January 2012
, IATA = KBL
, ICAO = OAKB
, ...
(KAIA). In August 2005, the Portuguese Air Force took command of KAIA with several of its services (for a period of 3 months), but now without aircraft. Between June and August 2005, the
Portuguese Army
The Portuguese Army ( pt, Exército Português) is the land component of the Armed Forces of Portugal and is also its largest branch. It is charged with the defence of Portugal, in co-operation with other branches of the Armed Forces. With its ...
began the task of ISAF Quick Reaction Force (QRF) with a
light infantry
Light infantry refers to certain types of lightly equipped infantry throughout history. They have a more mobile or fluid function than other types of infantry, such as heavy infantry or line infantry. Historically, light infantry often fought ...
company
A company, abbreviated as co., is a Legal personality, legal entity representing an association of people, whether Natural person, natural, Legal person, legal or a mixture of both, with a specific objective. Company members share a common p ...
(alternated 4
Commandos
Royal Marines from 40 Commando on patrol in the Sangin">40_Commando.html" ;"title="Royal Marines from 40 Commando">Royal Marines from 40 Commando on patrol in the Sangin area of Afghanistan are pictured
A commando is a combatant, or operativ ...
companies and 2 of
Paratroopers
A paratrooper is a military parachutist—someone trained to parachute into a military operation, and usually functioning as part of an airborne force. Military parachutists (troops) and parachutes were first used on a large scale during Worl ...
), and a
TACP
The Tactical Air Control Party, commonly abbreviated TACP, is a small team of military personnel who provide coordination between aircraft and ground forces when providing close air support.
Australia
Australian TACPs are provided by the RAAF ...
Detachment of the Air Force.
Officers
An officer is a person who has a position of authority in a hierarchical organization. The term derives from Old French ''oficier'' "officer, official" (early 14c., Modern French ''officier''), from Medieval Latin ''officiarius'' "an officer," f ...
and
sergeants
Sergeant (abbreviated to Sgt. and capitalized when used as a named person's title) is a rank in many uniformed organizations, principally military and policing forces. The alternative spelling, ''serjeant'', is used in The Rifles and other uni ...
of the three branches have served in the ISAF HQ and other regional structures, more or less discreetly. Between late July 2008 and mid-December, a detachment of the Portuguese Air Force, incorporating a C‑130 and support staff in various specialties, like maintenance and force protection, totaling some 40 soldiers, met the new mission from Kabul. In addition to one seriously injured and several light injuries, the Portuguese army have suffered two dead, on 18 November 2005 and on 24 November 2007. The Portuguese forces for 2012 were: a Military Intelligence Cell, an Army Military Advisor Team for Afghan Capital Division HQ, 2 Air Force Advisor Teams, one for Afghan Air Force Academy and the other for Kabul International Airport, one GNR (gendarmerie type police) Advisor Team at National Police Training Center, in Wardak, Army Police and Navy Marines in service with Kabul International Airport Force Protection and a Support Unit for Portuguese forces with a Protection Company (2 Commando Platoons) and a Logistic Platoon (Maintenance, Health and communications).
* – Romanian forces consist of a battalion in
Qalat, Zabul Province fa, قلات خلجی
, nickname =
, settlement_type = City
, motto =
, image_skyline =
, imagesize = 300px
, image_caption =
, image_flag =
, flag_size ...
. Additionally, a special forces squad (39 personnel) operates from Tagab in Kapisa Province, and a training detachment of 47 personnel is in Kabul under the U.S.‑led Operation Enduring Freedom. In January 2010, Romania announced plans to send 600 more troops to Afghanistan, boosting its military presence there to more than 1,600 soldiers. Romania suffered 76 casualties in Afghanistan, including 20 killed in action.
* – In 2007, on request of NATO command, Slovak forces were moved from Kabul to operate in southern Afghanistan. Currently there are 165 guard soldiers providing force protection at Kandahar Airbase. 57 personnel of Multirole engineer company located in Kandahar Airport. Responsible for demining, building and repairing the airport. 53 soldiers of mechanized infantry are holding outpost in Tarin Kowt, Uruzgan Province. 15 personnel are in OMLT team, 4 explosives disposal specialists are part of EOD PALADIN‑S Team. 2 personnel are part of reconstruction team in Tarim Kowt. Twelve officers are members of commanding staff in – HQ ISAF IJC, RC-S, KAF a PALADIN. 15 personnel are part of the National Support Element (NSE) in Kandahar Airport. In September 2011, 20 soldiers of
5th Special Forces Regiment were deployed to Afghanistan to help with mentoring and training of
Afghan National Police
The Afghan National Police (ANP; ps, د افغانستان ملي پولیس; prs, پلیس ملی افغانستان), is the national police force of the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan, serving as a single law enforcement agency all across ...
personnel.
* – Slovenian troops (including two civilians – CIMIC programme) perform OMLT (mentoring an Infantry Battalion in Bala Boluk and joint mentoring with Italian army of a Combat Support Battalion in Herat) and
PRT tasks; and also placing some commanding positions in Regional Command West and ISAF HQ.
* – The collective Spanish military contribution to ISAF is known as ASPFOR. Spanish forces are divided between Herat Province, where they form a quick-reaction company, an instructors team for Afghan National Army training and a Combat Search & Rescue unit; Kabul, and Badghis Province, where they lead PRT Qala-i-Naw. The deployment involves engineers, infantry, a transport helicopters unit, and a logistics component. Spanish soldiers are constrained by caveats. The mandate issued by the Spanish Parliament does not allow Spanish forces neither to engage Taliban insurgents unless being directly attacked first, nor to move into the south and east of Afghanistan. 102 Spanish soldiers have been killed in Afghanistan. Spain has rejected three times to lead the ISAF when its shift to do so has come.
* – Turkey's responsibilities included providing security in Kabul (it led RC Capital), as well as in
Wardak Province
Maidan Wardak (Pashto: ; Dari: ), also called Wardag or Wardak, is one of the 34 provinces of Afghanistan, located in the central region of Afghanistan. It is divided into eight districts and has a population of approximately 500,00 The capital ...
, where it led PRT Maidan Shahr. Turkey was once the third largest contingent within the ISAF. Turkey's troops were not engaged in combat operations and Ankara long resisted pressure from Washington to offer more combat troops. In December 2009, Turkish Prime Minister
Tayyip Erdogan
Tayyip () is a Turkish given name for males. Tayyip may refer to:
* Recep Tayyip Erdoğan (born 1954), Turkish politician, and Prime Minister of the Republic of Turkey from 2003 to 2014, and current President of Turkey since 2014
* Tayyip Talha ...
said that ''"Turkey has already done what it can do by boosting its contingent of soldiers there to 1,750 from around 700 without being asked"''.
* – Troops were deployed in Helmand Province under
Operation Herrick
Operation Herrick was the codename under which all British operations in the War in Afghanistan were conducted from 2002 to the end of combat operations in 2014. It consisted of the British contribution to the NATO-led International Security Ass ...
. The
Royal Air Force
The Royal Air Force (RAF) is the United Kingdom's air and space force. It was formed towards the end of the First World War on 1 April 1918, becoming the first independent air force in the world, by regrouping the Royal Flying Corps (RFC) and ...
and
Army Air Corps Army Air Corps may refer to the following army aviation corps:
* Army Air Corps (United Kingdom), the army aviation element of the British Army
* Philippine Army Air Corps (1935–1941)
* United States Army Air Corps (1926–1942), or its p ...
have a major presence in and around the country, including attack aircraft, C‑130 Hercules cargo planes, CH‑47 Chinook transport helicopters,
Nimrod
Nimrod (; ; arc, ܢܡܪܘܕ; ar, نُمْرُود, Numrūd) is a biblical figure mentioned in the Book of Genesis and Books of Chronicles. The son of Cush and therefore a great-grandson of Noah, Nimrod was described as a king in the land of ...
surveillance planes,
Westland Lynx
The Westland Lynx is a British multi-purpose twin-engined military helicopter designed and built by Westland Helicopters at its factory in Yeovil. Originally intended as a utility craft for both civil and naval usage, military interest led t ...
utility helicopters and
Westland WAH-64 Apache
The AgustaWestland Apache is a licence-built version of the Boeing AH-64D Apache Longbow attack helicopter for the British Army Air Corps. The first eight helicopters were built by Boeing; the remaining 59 were assembled by Westland Helicop ...
attack helicopters. They were officially there to help train Afghan security forces, facilitate reconstruction, and provide security. In 2006, the situation in the north of Helmand turned increasingly violent, with British troops involved in fierce firefights against the Taliban and anti-coalition militia, particularly in the towns of
Sangin
Sangin ( ps, سنگين) is a town in Helmand province of Afghanistan, with a population of approximately 20,000 people. It is located on in the valley of the Helmand River at altitude, to the north-east of Lashkargah. Sangin is notorious as o ...
,
Musa Qala
; "Fortress of Moses") is a town and the district centre of Musa Qala District in Helmand Province, Afghanistan. It is located at and at an altitude of 1,043 m in the valley of Musa Qala River in the central western part of the district. Its pop ...
,
Kajaki
Kajaki is a village in southern Afghanistan, and is split between two townsteads, Kajaki 'Olya, and Kajaki Sofla. It is the district centre of Kajaki District in Helmand Province. North east of the village is an important hydro power station fo ...
and
Nawzad. According to the BBC, on 30 November 2009 Gordon Brown announced an increase in British troop numbers, which would bring the total to 10,000 personnel (500 extra ground troops, and 500 Special Forces); additionally more modified Merlin helicopters would be deployed. The deployment would mean British troop levels in the theatre would be the highest since the invasion in 2001. The United Kingdom contributed the most troops to the mission after the United States, and were involved in the fiercest fighting. As a result, 456 personnel were killed fighting in Afghanistan, and over 2000 wounded.
* – Made up more than half of the total number of ISAF troops.
Euro-Atlantic Partnership Council ( EAPC) nations
![President Barack Obama visits LTC Alex Tugushi (March 2 2012)](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/3/3f/President_Barack_Obama_visits_LTC_Alex_Tugushi_%28March_2_2012%29.jpg)
* – Armenia sent about 40 troops to serve under German command. Additional 86 troops deployed since summer 2011.
* – Deployed in Kabul. In 2002, 75 soldiers were temporarily deployed in Kabul and in the year 2005 a contingent of 100 soldiers served in Afghanistan.
* – The mission of the armed forces in Afghanistan began on 20 November 2002. 94 Azerbaijani soldiers, 2 military doctors and 2 engineering officers participated a decade later in the peacekeeping mission in Afghanistan.
*
* – Stationed in four provinces around Mazar-i-Sharif, as all of Finnish troops serve in the
PRT Mazar-i-Sharif
Provincial Reconstruction Team Mazar-i-Sharif was a Provincial Reconstruction Team in Afghanistan, and was part of the NATO International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) mission. Mazar-i-Sharif is a city in Balkh province which fell under the co ...
since early 2009. Two Finnish soldiers have been killed, and 9 have been injured in Afghanistan.
* – Predominantly tasked with Role of Georgia in the War in Afghanistan (2001–present), peacekeeping and counterinsurgency operations in the volatile Helmand province, Georgia is the largest non-NATO, as well as largest per-capita, contributor to the ISAF. Since 2010, 31 Georgian servicemen Coalition casualties in Afghanistan, have died, all in the Helmand campaign, and 435 wounded, including 35 amputees, as of July 2014.
The first Georgian fatality occurred on 5 September 2010, when 28 years old Lieutenant Mukhran Shukvani was killed in an sniper attack and Corporal Alexandre Gitolendia was seriously wounded. The most recent deaths occurred on 7 June 2013, when a suicide attack using a truck bomb struck a Georgian base in
Helmand Province
Helmand (Pashto/Dari: ; ), also known as Hillmand, in ancient times, as Hermand and Hethumand, is one of the 34 provinces of Afghanistan
Afghanistan is divided into 34 provinces (, '' wilåyat''). The provinces of Afghanistan are the primar ...
. Previously, on 13 May 2013, 3 Georgian soldiers, Cpl Alexander Kvitsinadze, Lower Sergeant Zviad Davitadze and Cpl Vladimer Shanava, were killed after a terrorist incursion and an accompanying suicide attack on the 42nd Battalion military base, also in Helmand.
[Georgian soldiers killed in Afghanistan attack](_blank)
BBC 13 May 2013
* – Republic of Ireland, Ireland provided 7 troops on six-month deployments from the Defence Forces (Ireland), Defence Forces, mainly as trainers, medical staff and experts from its Ordnance Corps (Ireland), bomb disposal units.
* – The Republic of North Macedonia (then Republic of Macedonia/Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia) began its participation in the NATO-led ISAF operation in August 2002, with the sending of two officers as part of the Turkish contingent. In March 2003, the Army of the Republic of North Macedonia, Macedonian army increased its contribution in the ISAF mission by sending one section from the composition of the 2nd Infantry Brigade as part of the German contingent. As a result of the successful carrying out of the mission and the high marks received for participation in ISAF, from August 2004 until the end of 2006, the ARM participated with one mechanized infantry platoon from the Leopard unit. At the same time, in August 2005 medical personnel was sent in ISAF as part of the Combined Medical Team in the A3 format (Macedonia, Albania, Croatia), which successfully carried out tasks at the Kabul airport, firstly in the composition of the Greek Field Hospital, and later in the composition of the Czech Field Hospital. In June 2006 sent also one mechanized infantry company, part of the first mechanized infantry brigade, in the composition of the British contingent in ISAF. In the second rotation of the company for securing the ISAF command, Macedonia increased the participation from ninety to one hundred and twenty seven participants, and from January 2008 it sent three staff officers in the ISAF Command in Kabul. As a support to the efforts for self-sustainability of the Afghanistan National Army (ANA), beginning from March 2008, Macedonia sent soldiers as part of the Combined Multinational Operational Mentor and Liaison Team (OMLT) in Mazar-i-Sharif while, beginning from December 2008, in cooperation with Norway, a Macedonian medical team is included through one Surgical team in the organizational structure of the surgical unit of the Norwegian Provincial Reconstruction Team (PRT) in Meymanah, Afghanistan.
* – On 23 February 2008, the Swiss Ministry of Defence announced that its small deployment had concluded two weeks prior. Two officers had worked alongside German troops in the PRT responsible for the northeastern Kunduz province. The stated reason for the withdrawal was the burden placed on other troops for their protection, which had begun to hinder operations. A total of 31 Swiss soldiers were sent to Afghanistan since the beginning of their country's participation in 2003.
* – Sweden leads the
PRT Mazar-i-Sharif
Provincial Reconstruction Team Mazar-i-Sharif was a Provincial Reconstruction Team in Afghanistan, and was part of the NATO International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) mission. Mazar-i-Sharif is a city in Balkh province which fell under the co ...
. The main force consists of three mechanized companies operating in Mazar-i-Sharif and also includes helicopters for medical evacuation and an OMLT training Afghan soldiers. Six Swedish Soldiers have been killed in action and 20+ wounded since 2001. Over time, the Swedish force consisted of up to 891 troops, 9 CV9040, 20 Patria Pasi, Patria XA-203, 60+ RG-32 Scout, BAE RG32M and 2 Super Puma Medevac helicopters.
* – Mostly military doctors serving in the Lithuanian-led Provincial Reconstruction Team#Regional Command West, PRT Chagcharan, while one officer works at the ISAF HQ in Kabul.
Non-NATO and non-EAPC nations
![Australian SOTG patrol Oct 2009](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/0/06/Australian_SOTG_patrol_Oct_2009.jpg)
* – Australia was one of the largest non-NATO contributors to the War in Afghanistan. Called Operation Slipper, the core of the Australian contingent was based in the southern province of
Uruzgan
Uruzgan ( Dari), also spelled as Urozgan or Oruzgan, is one of the thirty-four provinces of Afghanistan. Uruzgan is located in the center of the country. The population is 436,079, and the province is mostly a tribal society. Tarinkot serves as ...
. Australia had joint command of Uruzgan Province with the United States (Combined Team Uruzgan). Australia provided the majority of combat forces in Uruzgan. This included an infantry based Battle Group known as the Mentoring Task Force, which also includes cavalry, engineer, artillery and other supporting assets. The Battle Group's main effort are Operational Mentoring and Liaison Teams (OMLT's), which are embedded with Afghan National Army units at remote Combat Outposts and Forward Operating Bases. The OMLT's conduct almost daily patrolling in the Green Zone with the Afghan National Army, and have been involved in the heaviest combat experienced by regular Australian Defence Force members since the Military history of Australia during the Vietnam War, Vietnam War. Australia also contributed a 300-strong Special Operations Task Group, code named Task Force 66, manned by the Australian Special Air Service Regiment, Special Air Service Regiment, 2nd Commando Regiment (Australia), 2nd Commando Regiment and 1st Commando Regiment. Task Force 66 operated in Uruzgan, Helmand, Zabul and other surrounding provinces, and had significant success in both capturing and inflicting large numbers of casualties against the Taliban. Australian Army CH-47 Chinook, CH-47D Chinook heavy-lift helicopters served in Afghanistan as coalition heavy lift transport helicopters, and the Royal Australian Air Force also committed Boeing C-17 Globemaster III, C17 Globemaster and Lockheed C-130 Hercules, C130 Hercules transport aircraft, AP-3C Orion surveillance aircraft, and Unmanned Aerial Vehicles. 42 Australian soldiers were killed and another 256 were wounded in action.
*
*
* – Jordanian troops were deployed in December 2001 to establish a 50‑bed medical facility in Mazar-i-Sharif. According to the US Department of Defense, the hospital provided care for up to 650 local patients a day, and as of February 2006, over 500,000 people had been treated by the Jordanians.
*
* – Mongolia sent troops to back the U.S. surge in the country.
Some soldiers protect Camp Eggers while others serve as trainers for the Afghan National Army.
* – New Zealand deployed an undisclosed number of NZSAS and a number of regular troops to assist the U.S. The RNZAF deployed C-130 aircraft and Boeing 757 transport aircraft and later in the deployment a quantity of NZLAV armoured fighting vehicles were sent to supplement the force. 10 soldiers were killed during the deployment.
* – The Singapore Armed Forces deployed close to 500 personnel to Afghanistan since May 2007 as part of Singapore's contributions to multinational stabilisation and reconstruction efforts there. In May 2007, a five-man team was sent to central Afghanistan to set up a dental clinic serving local citizens, while training Afghans in dentistry so that they could eventually assume responsibility. Other contributions included a UAV team and a Weapons Locating Radar to provide rocket-launch warnings for Camp Holland.
* – The first South Korean contingent had been withdrawn by 14 December 2007 due to the expiration of its mandate, despite American calls for its continued presence. The withdrawal had been one of the pledges made to the Taliban captors of 2007 South Korean hostage crisis in Afghanistan, 21 South Korean Christian missionaries in July 2007, in return for the hostages' release. The deployment consisted of 60 medics comprising the 'Dongeui' unit and 150 military engineers forming the 'Dasan' unit at Bagram Airbase, north of Kabul. They had been sent to Afghanistan in 2002 and 2003 respectively. Afterwards Seoul took only the role of providing medical and vocational training by assisting the United States with only two dozen volunteers working inside Bagram Air Base, north of Kabul. According to an ISAF statement, on 30 June 2008 South Korea returned, operating a small hospital near the airbase in Bagram with military and civilian personnel. In December 2009, the South Korean defence ministry announced it would send 350 troops in 2010 to protect South Korean civilian engineers working on reconstruction. These troops would not engage in any fighting except to protect the base of the South Korean Provincial Reconstruction Team (PRT) and escort and protect the activities of the PRT members. The South Korean contingent would be based in Parwan province, just north of Kabul for 30 months from 1 July 2010. This invoked threats from the Taliban. In a statement e‑mailed to international media, Taliban insurgents said Seoul must be ready to face "bad consequences" if the troops were deployed. The South Korean government said it made no promises to stay out of Afghanistan when it withdrew its troops in 2007. South Korea redeployed its troops to Afghanistan in July 2010, and was the PRT leading nation in Parwan Province. Korea also dispatched 4 UH‑60 Black Hawks, which came under tactical control of the 3rd Infantry Division (United States), 3rd US Infantry Division.
*
* – The UAE had 170 soldiers serving in Tarin Kowt province in March 2008.
Financing
Resolution 1386 of the
United Nations Security Council
The United Nations Security Council (UNSC) is one of the six principal organs of the United Nations (UN) and is charged with ensuring international peace and security, recommending the admission of new UN members to the General Assembly, an ...
established that the expense of the ISAF operation must be borne by participating states. For this purpose the resolution established a trust fund through which contributions could be channeled to the participating states or operations concerned, and encouraged the participating states to contribute to such a fund.
See also
*
Afghanistan Mission Network
*
Resolute Support Mission
Resolute Support Mission (RSM) or Operation Resolute Support was a NATO-led multinational mission in Afghanistan. It began on 1 January 2015 as the successor to the International Security Assistance Force (ISAF), which was completed on 28 Decem ...
* British Forces casualties in Afghanistan since 2001
* Canadian Forces casualties in Afghanistan
* Coalition casualties in Afghanistan
* German Armed Forces casualties in Afghanistan
* NATO logistics in the Afghan War
* Participants in Operation Enduring Freedom
* Role of the United Kingdom in the War in Afghanistan (2001–present)
* List of ISAF installations in Afghanistan
Notes
Further reading
* Auerswald, David P. & Stephen M. Saideman, eds. ''NATO in Afghanistan: Fighting Together, Fighting Alone'' (Princeton U.P. 2014)
* Maloney, Sean M. ''Enduring The Freedom: A Rogue Historian in Afghanistan.''. Dulles: Potomac Books, Incorporated, 2005,
*Mattelaer, Alexander. "How Afghanistan has Strengthened NATO." ''Survival'' 53.6 (2011): 127–140.
* Morelli, Vincent
''NATO in Afghanistan: a test of the transatlantic alliance''(Congressional Research Service)
* Suhrke, Astri. "A contradictory mission? NATO from stabilization to combat in Afghanistan." ''International Peacekeeping'' 15.2 (2008): 214–236.
Stene, Lillian K. "Rational beliefs- inconsistent practices, civil military coordination in North Afghanistan." PhD thesis University of Stavanger no 230. September 2014
External links
*
ISAF Youtube VideosISAF's voice toward the Afghan people (English and Dari)Video of British ISAF Patrol in ActionOfficial site of the Allied Joint Force Command Brunssum, NetherlandsPeace Operations Monitor- Afghanistan
BELU ISAF 12, the official ISAF site of Belgium and Luxembourg
The ISAF-site of the Czech Ministry of Defence
Norwegian ISAF Photos 2004–2005Official Swedish Armed Forces Afghanistan – ISAF site]
Infos about Commanders of other nations and APO's at ISAF
{{Authority control
International Security Assistance Force,
Military units and formations of the War in Afghanistan (2001–2021)
NATO operations in Afghanistan
United Nations Security Council mandates
Foreign relations of Afghanistan
2000s in Afghanistan
2010s in Afghanistan
Military units and formations established in 2001
Military units and formations disestablished in 2014
2001 establishments in Afghanistan
2014 disestablishments in Afghanistan
Afghanistan and the United Nations
Military operations involving Portugal