Afghanistan

On September 11th 2001, 2977 people were killed across America when terrorists from Al-Qaeda undertook the deadliest terrorist attacks in history. America launched a War on Terror against such groups and formed an international coalition, which included Britain.

In November 2001 the coalition invaded Afghanistan because its Taliban regime aided the terrorists and protected their leader Osama Bin Laden. The Taliban were quickly overthrown, and NATO and the UN started a reconstruction process. But by 2003 a violent insurgency by the Taliban threatened stability and the coalition began a major military campaign against them.

The British component, Operation Herrick, began in April 2004. It was a rolling a deployment of 6-month tours of duty and all five Regiments deployed throughout the war. The Guards mainly operated in Helmand Province, a major Taliban strong hold and centre of opium production. It’s proximity to Pakistan meant the Taliban could resupply from there and move opium to raise funds. It is roughly the size of England so controlling it was difficult.

They operated in patrol bases, patrolled on foot and in vehicles, held territory to keep the Taliban from taking over and mentored the Afghan forces. As Herrick continued the Taliban grew in strength and were attacking British bases in large numbers. When coalition firepower made this too costly, they increasingly used suicide bombs and Improvised Explosive Devices. 2009 and 2010 were particularly hard years with heavy casualties, including Welsh Guards CO Colonel Thornloe.

Herrick ended in 2014 when weary of the war and arguing that the Taliban had been defeated the coalition sought a political agreement to end the fighting. In 2021 US Forces withdrew and within months the Taliban had overrun the country and forced a last-minute evacuation from Kabul.