Afghan Civil War (1992–1996)
The 1992–1996 Afghan Civil War, also known as the Second Afghan Civil War, took place between 28 April 1992—the date a new interim Afghan government was supposed to replace the Republic of Afghanistan of President Mohammad Najibullah—and the Taliban's conquest of Kabul establishing the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan on 27 September 1996.
| Second Afghan Civil War | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Part of the Afghan conflict and the Iran–Saudi Arabia proxy conflict (after Dec. 1992) | ||||||||
Top: Much of the civil infrastructure in Kabul was ruined due to the war. This photo of Jadayi Maiwand is presumably from 1993. Bottom: The territorial control of the Taliban (red) and the Northern Alliance (blue) in Afghanistan in 1996 | ||||||||
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| Belligerents | ||||||||
Saudi Arabia Uzbekistan (until Jan. 1994; from Aug. 1994) Iran (until Dec. 1992) |
Hezb-e Islami Gulbuddin (until late 1994) Hezb-i Wahdat (after Dec. 1992) Junbish-i Milli (Jan. 1994-Aug. 1994) Regional Kandahar Militia Leaders Afghan Army and Airforce Remnants (allegedly, until October 1992) |
Taliban (from late 1994) Al-Qaeda (from early 1996) Supported by: Pakistan | ||||||
| Commanders and leaders | ||||||||
|
Burhanuddin Rabbani |
Gulbuddin Hekmatyar Abdul Ali Mazari Nawaz Sharif |
Mullah Omar | ||||||
| Casualties and losses | ||||||||
| 26,759 killed (per UCDP ) | ||||||||
The war immediately followed the 1989–1992 civil war with the mujahideen victory and dissolution of the Republic of Afghanistan in April 1992. The Hezb-e Islami Gulbuddin, led by Gulbuddin Hekmatyar and supported by Pakistan’s Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI), refused to form a coalition government and tried to seize Kabul with the help of Khalqists. On 25 April 1992 fighting broke out between three, and later five or six, mujahideen armies. Alliances between the combatants were transitory throughout the war.
The Taliban, a new militia formed with support from Pakistan and ISI, became dominant in 1995-96. It captured Kandahar in late-1994, Herat in 1995, Jalalabad in early-September 1996, and Kabul by late-September 1996. The Taliban fought the newly-formed Northern Alliance in the subsequent 1996-2001 civil war.
Kabul's population fell from two million to 500,000 during the 1992–1996 war; 500,000 fled during the first four months.
Overall, the Afghan Civil War of 1992–1996 was a period of intense conflict and suffering for the people of Afghanistan. The collapse of the Soviet-backed government, ethnic and religious divisions, and external involvement all contributed to the conflict. The legacy of this period of Afghan history continues to shape the country's politics and society today.