United States war in Afghanistan timeline and facts

The US War in Afghanistan, known as Operation Enduring Freedom, commenced on October 7, 2001, following allied airstrikes targeting the Taliban and al Qaeda. The United States initiated the conflict after linking the September 11 terrorist attacks to al Qaeda, which had been operating under the protection of the Taliban regime.

Early milestones of the conflict included the rejection of a Taliban proposal to transfer Osama bin Laden to a third country for trial and the first acknowledged ground actions by US forces in October 2001. By November 2001, several nations including the United Kingdom, Turkey, Australia, Canada, Germany, Italy, and the Netherlands committed military personnel to the effort. The month also saw the fall of Kabul following airstrikes and ground attacks by the anti-Taliban Afghan Northern Alliance.