Afghan Civil War (1992–1996)

Belligerents

• Junbish-i Milli
  (Jan – Aug 1994)
• Supported by:
• Uzbekistan
  (Jan – Aug 1994)

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• Hezb-i Wahdat
  (Dec 1992–1995)
• Supported by:
• Iran
  (Dec 1992–1995)

Hezb-e Islami Gulbuddin
(until late 1994)
Supported by:
Pakistan
(until late 1994)

Islamic State of Afghanistan

• • • Northern Alliance
      • Jamiat-e Islami
      • NIFA
      • IDOA
      • Harakat-i Islami
      • Junbish-i Milli (until Jan 1994; from Aug 1994)
      • Hezb-i Wahdat (from 1995)
    • Shura-e Nazar
    • Hezb-e Islami Khalis (until mid-1992)

• INRMA
• ANFL (Jebh-e Nejat-e Melli)
• Hezb-e Islami Gulbuddin
  (from late 1994)
• Supported by:
• Saudi Arabia
• Uzbekistan
  (until Jan 1994; from Aug 1994)
• Iran
  (until Dec 1992; from 1995)

Taliban
(from late 1994)
Al-Qaeda
(from early 1996)
Supported by:
Pakistan
(from late 1994)Commanders and leaders

• Burhanuddin Rabbani
• Ahmad Shah Massoud
• Naqib Alikozai
• Ismail Khan
• Mulavi Younas Khalis
• Abdul Haq
• Haji Abdul Qadeer
• Jalaluddin Haqqani
• Abdul Rasul Sayyaf
• Mohammad Nabi
• Sibghatullah Mojaddedi
• Ahmed Gailani
• Abdul Rahim Wardak
• Asif Mohseni
• Hussain Anwari
• Abdul Ali MazariX
• Sayyid Ali Beheshti
• Karim Khalili
• Commander ShafiX
• Abdul Rashid Dostum
• Gulbuddin Hekmatyar
  (from late 1994)

• Gulbuddin Hekmatyar
  (until late 1994)

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• Mullah Omar
• Abdul Ghani Baradar
• Osama bin Laden
• Ayman al-Zawahiri

Casualties and losses 26,759 killed (per UCDP )

The 1992–1996 Afghan Civil War, also known as the Second Afghan Civil War, took place between 28 April 1992 — the date a new interim Afghan government was supposed to replace the Republic of Afghanistan of PresidentMohammad Najibullah—and the Taliban's occupation of Kabul establishing the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan on 27 September 1996.

The war immediately followed the 1989–1992 civil war with the Mujahideen victory and dissolution of the Republic of Afghanistan in April 1992. Hezb-e Islami Gulbuddin, led by Gulbuddin Hekmatyar and supported by Pakistan's Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI), refused to form a coalition government and tried to seize Kabul with the help of Khalqists. On 25 April 1992 fighting broke out between three, and later five or six, mujahideen armies. Alliances between the combatants were transitory throughout the war.

The Taliban, a new militia created and supported by Pakistan and ISI, became dominant in 1995–96. It captured Kandahar in late-1994, Herat in 1995, Jalalabad in early-September 1996, and Kabul by late-September 1996. The Taliban fought the newly-formed Northern Alliance in the subsequent 1996–2001 civil war.

Kabul's population fell from 2,000,000 to 500,000 during the 1992–1996 war; 500,000 fled during the first four months. The war was a period of intense conflict and suffering for the people of Afghanistan. The collapse of the Soviet-backed government, ethnic and religious divisions, and external involvement all contributed to the conflict. The legacy of this period of Afghan history continues to shape the country's politics and society today.