Infographic: Statistics of casualties of world powers in Afghanistan
Britain, the Soviet Union, the United States and the NATO alliance are countries that have intervened and had a military presence in Afghanistan over the past two centuries. These occupations eventually led to the defeat and withdrawal from the country. Hence, Afghanistan is known as the “Graveyard of Empires”.
The time period and losses are as follows:
1- The First Anglo-Afghan War: From 1839 to 1842, there was a battle between Shah Shujah Durrani and the British with Amir Dost Mohammad Khan Baloch (Barakzai), in which the British lost 4,700 troops and 12,000 were wounded. In this war, the British withdrew from Afghanistan.
2- The Second Anglo-Afghan War: From 1878 to 1880, there was a war between Shir Ali Khan Barakzai and the British, which led to the consolidation of British control over areas in present-day Pakistan. The British casualties in this war are reported to be 9850.
3- The Third British-Afghan War: It began in 1919 with the invasion of Amanullah Khan Barakzai and ended with the agreement of the two sides to recognize the independence of Afghanistan and the “Durand Line” as the border between India and Afghanistan. The British casualties in this war are 236 troops.
4- The Soviet-Afghan War: This war lasted from 1979 to 1989. The casualties of the Soviet Union in this war are 14453 troops killed, 53753 troops wounded and 312 troops missing. The war eventually ended with the withdrawal of Soviet troops from Afghanistan.
5- US and NATO invasion of Afghanistan: The US and NATO invaded Afghanistan under the name “Operation Enduring Freedom” and lasted from 2001 to 2021. The US casualties in this war are 2455 troops and more than 20 thousand troops are wounded. Also, 1,117 NATO troops were killed and more than 2,800 were injured.
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