Aqtash District

Last updated

Aqtash District
Afghanistan adm location map.svg
Red pog.svg
Aqtash District
Location of the district in Afghanistan
Coordinates: 36°47′N69°06′E / 36.79°N 69.1°E / 36.79; 69.1
CountryFlag of the Taliban.svg  Afghanistan
Province Kunduz
EstablishedLate 2015 [1]
District CenterAqtash
Government
  GovernorZabihullah Aimaq [2] [ needs update ]
Population
 (2019) [3]
  Total27,097
Time zone UTC+4:30 (Afghanistan Standard Time)

Aqtash District is a district in Kunduz Province, Afghanistan. It was not part of the 399 or 407 district sets, but is recognized in the 422 district set as a temporary district. [3] It was split from Khanabad District in late 2015 after a visit from Ashraf Ghani, the president of Afghanistan. [1] In 2019, only two polling centers were open in the district, with 277 votes cast. [4]

Contents

Geography

Aqtash is bordered by Dasht-e-Archi District to the north, Baharak District and Bangi District to the east, Khanabad District to the south, and Kunduz District to the west. Kunduz District holds the provincial capital of Kunduz, and Baharak and Bangi are located in Takhar Province. [4] The Khanabad River forms Aqtash's southern border. [4]

History

Aqtash District was established in 2015 by Ashraf Ghani after he visited Kunduz Province. Gurtipa District and Calbad District were also created. [1] A large operation was conducted to clear the district of militants in 2016, with dozens of villages cleared. [5]

In the 2018 election, only two polling centers were open in Aqtash, and the district governor declined to provide further details other than "turnout was good". [2] Earlier that year, an operation was taken to clear the district and succeeded. However, as soon as security forces left, the Taliban returned to the district. An operation was launched in 2017, causing 50 militant casualties.[ citation needed ] Later, in June 2019, a bastion was stormed in the district and 19 detainees were set free. [6]

A large operation was taken by the government in early 2020, killing many insurgents and their commanders across Kunduz Province, including Aqtash. [7] Over 10,000 people were displaced as a result of the fighting in Aqtash, or about 1472 families. [8]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kunduz</span> City in Kunduz Province, Afghanistan

Kunduz is a city in northern Afghanistan, the capital of Kunduz Province. The city has an estimated population of about 268,893 as of 2015, making it about the 7th-largest city of Afghanistan, and the largest city in northeastern Afghanistan. Kunduz is in the historical Tokharistan region of Bactria, near the confluence of the Kunduz River with the Khanabad River. Kunduz is linked by highways with Kabul to the south, Mazar-i-Sharif to the west, and Badakhshan to the east. Kunduz is also linked with Dushanbe in Tajikistan to the north, via the Afghan dry port of Sherkhan Bandar. This city is famous in Afghanistan for its watermelon production.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Takhar Province</span> Province of Afghanistan

Takhar is one of the thirty-four provinces of Afghanistan, located in the northeast of the country next to Tajikistan. It is surrounded by Badakhshan in the east, Panjshir in the south, and Baghlan and Kunduz in the west. The city of Taloqan serves as its capital.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Taliban insurgency</span> Insurgency during the War in Afghanistan

The Taliban insurgency began after the group's fall from power during the 2001 War in Afghanistan. The Taliban forces fought against the Afghan government, led by President Hamid Karzai, and later by President Ashraf Ghani, and against a US-led coalition of forces that has included all members of NATO; the 2021 Taliban offensive resulted in the collapse of the government of Ashraf Ghani. The private sector in Pakistan extends financial aid to the Taliban, contributing to their financial sustenance.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bangi District</span> District in Takhār Province, Afghanistan

Bangi District is a district of Takhar Province, Afghanistan.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">War in Afghanistan (2001–2021)</span> Conflict between NATO Western forces and the Taliban

The War in Afghanistan was an armed conflict from 2001 to 2021. It began when an international military coalition led by the United States launched an invasion of Afghanistan, toppling the Taliban-ruled Islamic Emirate and establishing the internationally recognized Islamic Republic three years later. The conflict ultimately ended with the 2021 Taliban offensive, which overthrew the Islamic Republic, and re-established the Islamic Emirate. It was the longest war in the military history of the United States, surpassing the length of the Vietnam War (1955–1975) by approximately 6 months.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Counterinsurgency in Northern Afghanistan</span> Part of the War in Afghanistan (2001–2021)

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 in 2008 when the German soldiers deployed to the area came under attack more often, leading to the deaths of the several soldiers. Previously hindered by national caveats, the deteroriating security situation prompted the German-led Regional Command North to launch a series of operations to take on the rising insurgency. Concerted operations began after an insurgent attack on PRT Kunduz within minutes of German Chancellor Angela Merkel's departure from a visit. Within two years, the German presence would be doubled and additional reinforcements from the American ISAF contingent were called in, including heavy German armoured vehicles and US aviation assets, allowing for a more aggressive approach towards the insurgency.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Baharak District, Takhar</span> District in Takhār Province, Afghanistan

Baharak District is a district of Takhar Province, Afghanistan. The district was split-off from Taluqan District in 2005. Most people work in agriculture. The district has been the site of fighting between the Afghan Government and the Taliban; Baharak was considered to be contested in late 2018 and taken by the Taliban by August 2021.

The following lists events from 2014 in Afghanistan.

The following lists events that happened during 2015 in Afghanistan.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Battle of Kunduz (2015)</span>

The Battle of Kunduz took place from April to October 2015 for control of the city of Kunduz, located in northern Afghanistan, with Taliban fighters attempting to seize the city and displace Afghan security forces. On 28 September 2015, the Taliban forces suddenly overran the city, with government forces retreating outside the city. The capture marked the first time since 2001 that the Taliban had taken control of a major city in Afghanistan. The Afghan government claimed to have largely recaptured Kunduz by 1 October 2015 in a counterattack, although local sources in the city disputed the claim made by government officials.

The following lists events that happened during 2016 in Afghanistan.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Battle of Boz Qandahari</span>

The Battle of Boz Qandahari occurred on 3 November 2016, in the village of Boz Qandahari, on the western outskirts of the Afghan city of Kunduz, between Afghan National Army Commandos alongside United States Army Special Forces against Taliban insurgents.

Events in the year 2017 in Afghanistan.

Events in the year 2018 in Afghanistan.

This article summarizes the history of the War in Afghanistan (2001–2021).

Events in the year 2020 in Afghanistan.

In a continuation of previous attacks by the Taliban in May and June, multiple clashes between Afghan security forces and the Taliban were reported. They carried out several attacks throughout Afghanistan, resulting in multiple fatalities on both sides. Both the Taliban and government forces have accused each other responsibility over the recent surge in violence across Afghanistan. The attacks come despite the signing of a peace deal with the U.S. in February that was intended to put an end to the war.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Yasin Zia</span> Former Chief of General Staff in Afghanistan

General Mohammad Yasin Zia, is an Afghan military officer and politician. He is a former Chief of General Staff, former Deputy Defense Minister, and former governor of Takhar Province, Afghanistan. Zia has also served as head of Afghanistan's counter terrorism unit (2011) and as the deputy director of the National Directorate of Security (2011–2015). In 2022, he was reported to be one of the leaders of the anti-Taliban Afghanistan Freedom Front resistance movement.

2021 (MMXXI) was a common year starting on Friday of the Gregorian calendar, the 2021st year of the Common Era (CE) and Anno Domini (AD) designations, the 21st year of the 3rd millennium and the 21st century, and the 2nd year of the 2020s decade.

The Battle of Kunduz was a battle between the Afghan National Security Forces (ANSF) and the Taliban for control of the city of Kunduz. The fighting started in late June and lasted until the city was overrun by the Taliban on 8 August. The Afghan government forces, defending the city, withdrew to 217th Pamir Corps headquarters and airport within the city. After resisting for three days, an entire 217th Pamir Corps had surrendered, allowing Taliban to take control of the airport and a number of military vehicles and tanks stationed inside the headquarters.

References

  1. 1 2 3 Hamdard, Hidayatullah (11 January 2016). "Newly created Kunduz districts still under Taliban control". pajhwok.com. Retrieved 28 August 2020.
  2. 1 2 Ali, Obaid (7 November 2018). "The 2018 Election Observed (3) in Kunduz: A Very Violent E-Day". afghanistan-analysts.org. Retrieved 28 August 2020.
  3. 1 2 "Estimated Settled Population of Afghanistan" (PDF). nsia.gov.af. p. 30. Archived from the original (PDF) on 9 June 2020. Retrieved 28 August 2020.
  4. 1 2 3 "Story Map Series". www.arcgis.com. Retrieved 28 August 2020.
  5. "ANSF Launch Large Scale Offensive in Northern District" (PDF). 2 October 2016. Archived (PDF) from the original on 7 November 2016. Retrieved 29 August 2020.
  6. "Afghan forces smash Taliban detention centers, set free over 50 hostages - Xinhua | English.news.cn". www.xinhuanet.com. Archived from the original on 11 June 2019. Retrieved 28 August 2020.
  7. Hedayatullah. "Afghan forces clear Taliban from over 50 villages in Kunduz". Salaam Times. Retrieved 29 August 2020.
  8. "Afghanistan: Weekly Humanitarian Update (13 January – 19 January 2020) - Afghanistan". ReliefWeb. Retrieved 29 August 2020.