Siege of Kunduz
Encyclopedia
The Siege of Kunduz took place in 2001 during the War in Afghanistan
. After the fall of Mazar-i-Sharif on November 9, the focus of the Northern Alliance advance shifted towards the city of Kunduz
, which was the last remaining Taliban stronghold in northern Afghanistan.
Forces under the command of General Mohammed Daud Daud
linked up with American Special Forces
advisers and advanced to the city of Taloqan
, arriving outside the city on November 11. There, Daud's forces attacked before American airstrikes could be called in, quickly routing the Taliban and seizing control of the city.
After routing the Taliban at Taloqan, Daud's forces moved to besiege Kunduz. They initially met heavy resistance, leading Daud to decide to entrench his forces around the city and use American air support to weaken the Taliban. For the next eleven days, American aircraft bombarded Taliban positions, destroying 44 bunker complexes, 12 tanks and 51 trucks as well as numerous supply dumps.
Inside the city, the Taliban reportedly hanged five of their own commanders who suggested surrendering to the Northern Alliance. Foreign fighters, fearing execution by the Northern Alliance, declared their intent to fight to the death. The foreign fighters began executing Afghan Taliban soldiers who considered surrender, killing 300 people.
Several thousand Taliban and Al Qaeda foreign fighters, along with agents of the Pakistani Inter-Services Intelligence
and military personnel, were evacuated by Pakistan Army
aircraft during the last three days of the siege, in an event that has been nicknamed as the Airlift of Evil
.
On November 22, Daud's forces captured the nearby town of Khanabad. With their position deteriorating, the Taliban forces inside Kunduz agreed to surrender on November 23. After the Taliban surrender, there were reports of looting by Northern Alliance soldiers as well as reports of the executions of Taliban prisoners.
The massive numbers of prisoners taken overwhelmed the Northern Alliance's ability to process them. Many prisoners were not properly searched, and several hundred of these prisoners would later stage an uprising at Qala-i-Jangi prison
outside of Mazar-i-Sharif.
Human rights bodies estimate that several hundred or several thousand captured prisoners died in or after transit to Sherberghan prison. The deaths have become known as the Dasht-i-Leili massacre
. Allegations have been made, notably by columnist Ted Rall
and Jamie Doran
's 2002 documentary Afghan Massacre: The Convoy of Death, that U.S. troops were involved. A July 2009 report in the New York Times caused United States President Barack Obama
to order a probe into how the Bush administration handled calls for investigation of the massacre.
John Walker Lindh
, the "American Taliban," was captured at Kunduz.
War in Afghanistan (2001–present)
The War in Afghanistan began on October 7, 2001, as the armed forces of the United States of America, the United Kingdom, Australia, and the Afghan United Front launched Operation Enduring Freedom...
. After the fall of Mazar-i-Sharif on November 9, the focus of the Northern Alliance advance shifted towards the city of Kunduz
Kunduz
Kunduz also known as Kundûz, Qonduz, Qondûz, Konduz, Kondûz, Kondoz, or Qhunduz is a city in northern Afghanistan, the capital of Kunduz Province. It is linked by highways with Mazari Sharif to the west, Kabul to the south and Tajikistan's border to the north...
, which was the last remaining Taliban stronghold in northern Afghanistan.
Forces under the command of General Mohammed Daud Daud
Mohammed Daud Daud
General H.E. Mohammed Daud Daud , also known as General Daud Daud, was the police chief in northern Afghanistan and the commander of the elite 303 Pamir Corps. He was considered one of the most effective and important opponents of the Afghan Taliban.Gen. Daud studied engineering in college...
linked up with American Special Forces
Special forces
Special forces, or special operations forces are terms used to describe elite military tactical teams trained to perform high-risk dangerous missions that conventional units cannot perform...
advisers and advanced to the city of Taloqan
Taloqan
Tāloqān is the capital of Takhar Province, in northern Afghanistan. It is located in the Taluqan District. The population was estimated as 196,400 in 2006.-History:The old city to the west on the riverside was described by Marco Polo in 1275 CE as:...
, arriving outside the city on November 11. There, Daud's forces attacked before American airstrikes could be called in, quickly routing the Taliban and seizing control of the city.
After routing the Taliban at Taloqan, Daud's forces moved to besiege Kunduz. They initially met heavy resistance, leading Daud to decide to entrench his forces around the city and use American air support to weaken the Taliban. For the next eleven days, American aircraft bombarded Taliban positions, destroying 44 bunker complexes, 12 tanks and 51 trucks as well as numerous supply dumps.
Inside the city, the Taliban reportedly hanged five of their own commanders who suggested surrendering to the Northern Alliance. Foreign fighters, fearing execution by the Northern Alliance, declared their intent to fight to the death. The foreign fighters began executing Afghan Taliban soldiers who considered surrender, killing 300 people.
Several thousand Taliban and Al Qaeda foreign fighters, along with agents of the Pakistani Inter-Services Intelligence
Inter-Services Intelligence
The Directorate for Inter-Services Intelligence , is Pakistan's premier intelligence agency, responsible for providing critical national security intelligence assessment to the Government of Pakistan...
and military personnel, were evacuated by Pakistan Army
Pakistan Army
The Pakistan Army is the branch of the Pakistani Armed Forces responsible for land-based military operations. The Pakistan Army came into existence after the Partition of India and the resulting independence of Pakistan in 1947. It is currently headed by General Ashfaq Parvez Kayani. The Pakistan...
aircraft during the last three days of the siege, in an event that has been nicknamed as the Airlift of Evil
Airlift of Evil
The Airlift of Evil refers to the evacuation of thousands of top commanders and members of the Taliban and Al-Qaeda, their Pakistani advisors including Pakistani Inter-Services Intelligence agents and military personnel, and other Jihadi volunteers and sympathizers, from the city of Kunduz,...
.
On November 22, Daud's forces captured the nearby town of Khanabad. With their position deteriorating, the Taliban forces inside Kunduz agreed to surrender on November 23. After the Taliban surrender, there were reports of looting by Northern Alliance soldiers as well as reports of the executions of Taliban prisoners.
The massive numbers of prisoners taken overwhelmed the Northern Alliance's ability to process them. Many prisoners were not properly searched, and several hundred of these prisoners would later stage an uprising at Qala-i-Jangi prison
Battle of Qala-i-Jangi
The Battle of Qala-i-Jangi took place between November 25 and December 1, 2001, in Northern Afghanistan. It began with the uprising of foreign Taliban prisoners held at Qala-i-Jangi fortress, and escalated into one of the bloodiest engagements of the War in Afghanistan...
outside of Mazar-i-Sharif.
Human rights bodies estimate that several hundred or several thousand captured prisoners died in or after transit to Sherberghan prison. The deaths have become known as the Dasht-i-Leili massacre
Dasht-i-Leili massacre
The Dasht-i-Leili massacre occurred in December 2001 during the U.S. invasion of Afghanistan where between 250 and 3,000 Taliban prisoners were shot and/or suffocated to death in metal truck containers, while being transferred by U.S...
. Allegations have been made, notably by columnist Ted Rall
Ted Rall
Ted Rall is an American columnist, syndicated editorial cartoonist, and author. His political cartoons often appear in a multi-panel comic-strip format and frequently blend comic-strip and editorial-cartoon conventions. The cartoons appear in approximately 100 newspapers around the United States...
and Jamie Doran
Jamie Doran
Jamie Doran is an Irish/Scottish independent documentary filmmaker and former BBC producer.Many of Doran's documentaries have raised controversy. His latest film, The Dancing Boys of Afghanistan allegedly exposes widespread and systematic child sex abuse by former Northern Alliance commanders,...
's 2002 documentary Afghan Massacre: The Convoy of Death, that U.S. troops were involved. A July 2009 report in the New York Times caused United States President Barack Obama
Barack Obama
Barack Hussein Obama II is the 44th and current President of the United States. He is the first African American to hold the office. Obama previously served as a United States Senator from Illinois, from January 2005 until he resigned following his victory in the 2008 presidential election.Born in...
to order a probe into how the Bush administration handled calls for investigation of the massacre.
John Walker Lindh
John Walker Lindh
John Phillip Walker Lindh is a United States citizen who was captured as an enemy combatant during the United States' 2001 invasion of Afghanistan. He is now serving a 20-year prison sentence in connection with his participation in Afghanistan's Taliban army...
, the "American Taliban," was captured at Kunduz.