More than 18 years after the US-led invasion of Afghanistan in 2001, there is a timeline of developments:
On October 7, 2001, less than a month after the September 11 attacks that killed around 3,000 people in the US, President George W. Bush launches operation “Enduring Freedom” in Afghanistan.
The operation opens a military front in the US “war on terrorism”.
Within weeks US-led forces overthrow the Taliban, in power since 1996.
The Taliban and other Islamist outfits regroup in their strongholds in southern and eastern Afghanistan, from where they can easily travel between their bases in Pakistan’s tribal zones, and launch an insurgency.
In 2008 the US command in Afghanistan calls for more manpower. Bush sends additional soldiers and about 48,500 US troops are deployed.
In 2009 Barack Obama, elected president on campaign promises to end the Iraq and Afghanistan wars, boosts the US deployment to around 68,000. In December he sends another 30,000.
By 2010 more than 150,000 foreign soldiers are deployed in Afghanistan, of which 100,000 are American.
Bin Laden is killed on May 2, 2011 in a US Special Forces operation in Pakistan.
On December 31, 2014 the NATO alliance ends its combat mission in Afghanistan. But, under agreements reached a few months earlier, 12,500 foreign soldiers, of which 9,800 are American, remain to train Afghan troops and conduct anti-terrorist operations.
In July 2016 Obama slows the planned pace of withdrawal of US troops, saying 8,400 will remain into 2017.
In April 2017 the US military drops the largest non-nuclear bomb it has ever used in combat on an IS network of tunnels and caves in eastern Afghanistan. Afghan officials say it killed 96 jihadists.
In August 2017 the new US President Donald Trump scraps any timetables for a US pullout and re-commits thousands more soldiers.
In mid-November some 3,000 soldiers arrive to reinforce the 11,000 troops already deployed.
In mid-2018 Washington and Taliban representatives discreetly open talks in Doha, led by US special envoy Zalmay Khalilzad.
On December 7, negotiations are re-started in Doha, only to be paused again following a Taliban attack near Bagram air base outside Kabul.
During a surprise visit to Bagram on November 28, Trump had said he is ready to reduce troops below 8,600.
On February 13, the US announces it has secured a seven-day reduction in violence in Afghanistan that it hopes will pave the way for it to sign a deal with the Taliban in Doha on Saturday.
