A Times reporter who once served in the Marines returned to the site of a major battle in Afghanistan to see what’s changed since the Taliban took over — and to meet a commander he once fought.
Tag: Helmand Province (Afghanistan)
Once a Symbol of U.S. Strength, an Afghan District Now Faces Dire Times
At the war’s end, residents of Marja are growing increasingly desperate for any kind of help, a frustration that has turned to anger that the international community has seemingly abandoned them.
Three more major cities are under Taliban control, as the government’s forces near collapse.
With Lashkar Gah and Kandahar, the Taliban now effectively control southern Afghanistan. The western city of Herat is also in their hands.
Taliban Capture Zaranj, an Afghanistan Provincial Capital, in a Symbolic Victory
Zaranj, on the Afghanistan-Iran border, was the first provincial capital to be captured by the insurgents since the Biden administration said it would completely withdraw U.S. troops from Afghanistan.
Afghan War Casualty Report: August 2021
At least 115 Afghan security forces and 58 civilians were killed in Afghanistan in the first five days of August.
Key Afghan City in Danger of Falling to the Taliban
Government reinforcements arrived Saturday in Lashkar Gah, the capital of Helmand Province, but people were fleeing their homes and a hospital in the city had been bombed.
On the Front Line: A Night With Afghan Commandos
On a recent night raid, a Times photographer captured Afghanistan’s elite forces as they disrupted Taliban operations in one of the country’s most volatile provinces.
Taliban Enter Key Cities in Afghanistan’s North After Swift Offensive
The setbacks come at a harrowing moment for Afghanistan, just as American and international troops are set to leave the country in coming weeks.
Elite Afghan Forces Suffer Horrific Casualties as Taliban Advance
At least 24 commandos were killed in one battle in the Afghan north, and that kind of stark loss is playing out across the country: “We mourn. The Taliban celebrate. And it hurts too much.”
A Siege, a Supply Run and a Descent Into a Decade-Old Battle
“Do you have body armor?” the Afghan pilot asked us as we prepared for a trip to outposts surrounded by the Taliban.