The 9/11 attacks that triggered the war on terror brought US and NATO soldiers to Afghanistan and started the 20-year war in Afghanistan, which took thousands of lives of foreign soldiers, Afghan forces, Taliban forces, and civilians.
According to a report by the AP, over 150,000 lives, including foreign troops, the Afghan security forces, Taliban forces, and civilians have been lost.
The report highlights that 3,592 foreign soldiers, including 2,448 US and 1,144 NATO soldiers, were killed in the last 20 years. Also, 3,846 US contractors were killed.
The report also says that 66,000 Afghan soldiers, 51,191 Taliban fighters, and 47,245 civilians were killed during the war in the country.
Additionally, 444 aid workers and 72 journalists were also among those killed, AP reported.
“In the past 20 years, we saw heavy casualties, and even the 'Mother of All Bombs' was used in Afghanistan. Suicide attacks also had casualties. The Afghans were killed on both sides,” said Sayed Ishaq Gailani, head of the National Solidarity Movement of Afghanistan.
Although the Taliban government was ousted in 2001, the war did not end. The Taliban become the opposition group and continued fighting the new government formed at the Bonn Conference. The war continued for 20 years.
“The Americans bombed weddings, funerals, meetings, mosques, villages, and different places. During the war, Taliban were killed, civilians were killed, Afghan army members and government employees were killed and also Americans were killed,” said Sayed Akbar Agha, head of Shura-e-Aali Rah-e-Nejat.
The war, in addition to taking thousands of lives, also destroyed infrastructure and caused massive economic costs.
“The American soldiers and others came here and some were killed in this 20-year war and the rest went back. The biggest damage was sustained by the Afghan army, civilians, and the Taliban and they are all Afghans. They were all brothers, but it was a conspiracy of the United States and the United Kingdom, who created the disagreement among them,” said Mohammad Akbar Niazai, a Kabul resident.
The 20-year war ended in August after the US and NATO soldiers pulled out of Afghanistan and the Taliban retook power.