Following the Taliban’s takeover of Afghanistan in August 2021, the movement claimed it would take on a more moderate and inclusive approach in their ruling of the country. However, the Taliban announced appointments within their caretaker government that resembled the regime of the 1990s.
 

The Taliban takeover in August 2021 has had destabilising repercussions beyond the borders of Afghanistan, altering regional dynamics and impacting the Taliban’s own external relationships with bordering countries.

In August 2021, following nearly two decades of armed resistance, the Taliban movement forced their way to power in Afghanistan, coinciding with the withdrawal of international troops from the country.
 

Despite U.S. military withdrawal in August 2021, on July 31, 2022, a CIA drone strike in Kabul killed al-Qaeda leader Ayman al-Zawahiri who was reportedly staying in a house belonging to a top aide to senior Taliban leader Sirajuddin Haqqani. It was the first U.S. drone strike in Afghanistan since the U.S.’s withdrawal.

The Counter Extremism Project (CEP) regularly compiles the propaganda output of al-Qaeda and ISIS affiliates operating in Afghanistan to help inform the public understanding of the evolving terrorist dynamics in Afghanistan. CEP's Afghanistan Content Report series ensures this raw material is available to the wider expert and terrorism analyst community.