Key milestones in 2 years of Taliban takeover of Afghanistan

August 15, 2021 : The Taliban enter Kabul as Western-backed President Ashraf Ghani flees the country.

Key points in 2 years of Taliban taking over Afghanistan picture 1 — Taliban gunmen. Photo: TSD

August 26, 2021 : Suicide bombers killed more than 170 Afghans and 13 US troops in an attack on a crowd trying to evacuate Kabul's airport.

March 23, 2022 : On the day high schools opened, the Taliban suddenly reversed their promise to allow girls up to sixth grade to attend school. Female students were told to go home.

May 7, 2022 : The Taliban's Ministry of Morality issues an order that women in public must wear a burqa and cover their faces except for their eyes. They also advise women to stay at home unless they have important work outside.

The pillars of the 2 years the Taliban took over Afghanistan picture 2 — Afghan women are not allowed to go to school and must cover their faces when going out, and must be accompanied by a male relative. Photo: AFP

June 22, 2022 : A powerful earthquake struck eastern Afghanistan, killing more than 1,100 people. The Taliban struggled to rescue them, highlighting the country's lack of resources and dependence on aid groups.

July 31, 2022 : The US kills al-Qaida leader Ayman al-Zawahri in a drone strike on a safe house in Kabul where he had been staying for months. US officials accuse the Taliban of helping al-Zawahri hide.

September 5, 2022 : An ISIS suicide bombing at the Russian Embassy in Kabul killed two diplomats , a rare attack on a foreign diplomatic mission. Russia is one of the few countries with an active embassy in Afghanistan.

September 30, 2022 : A suicide bomber attacks aneducation center in a Shiite area of the capital, killing dozens of people.

November 10, 2022 : A nationwide ban on women using gyms and parks comes into effect. The Taliban imposed the ban after reports of many women not wearing headscarves.

The pillars of the Taliban's two-year invasion of Afghanistan, picture 3 — A poster in Kabul reads: "Dear sisters! The headscarf and veil are your dignity and benefit you in this world and the next." Photo: AFP

November 20, 2022 : Taliban publicly punish 19 people, including those accused of adultery.

December 8, 2022 : The Taliban publicly execute a convicted murderer. It is the first public execution since the group took over the country.

December 21, 2022: Taliban bans female students from attending university.

December 24, 2022 : Taliban bans Afghan women from working with national and international NGOs.

March 9, 2023 - The United Nations says Afghanistan is the world's top oppressor of women and girls, depriving them of almost all their basic rights.

April 6, 2023 : The Taliban's chief spokesman moves his office from Kabul to Kandahar, the movement's spiritual home and the base of its supreme leader Hibatullah Akhundzada, signaling a shift of power southward.

April 10, 2023 : The United Nations warns that its operations in Afghanistan remain severely underfunded. It previously said Afghanistan was the world's most underfunded operation despite being the world's largest humanitarian crisis.

The pillars of the Taliban's two-year invasion of Afghanistan, picture 4 — Women going to beauty salons is now banned in Afghanistan. Photo: AP

July 4, 2023 : The Taliban orders the closure of beauty salons for providing un-Islamic services such as eyebrow shaping. The decision affects about 60,000 female entrepreneurs.

July 19, 2023 : Taliban use stun guns on women protesting beauty salon ban, spray water on protesters and fire into the air to disperse crowds.

Hoang Ton (according to AFP, AP)

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