Children collecting flowers showered from a military helicopter during a parade by athletes marking the fifth anniversary of the Taliban government’s return to power in Kabul on August 15, 2026.
| Photo Credit: AFP
It has been five years since the Taliban returned to Kabul, bringing an end to the U.S.-led military presence in Afghanistan and the Islamic Republic that had ruled the country for two decades. On August 15, 2021, the Taliban entered the Afghan capital as President Ashraf Ghani fled the country. The collapse of the government marked the end of America’s longest war and the Taliban’s return to power.
Five years later, the Taliban remain in control of Afghanistan.
Published – August 21, 2026 06:00 am IST
