Afghanistan fighting season explained

The Afghanistan fighting season refers to the cyclical restarting of fighting every spring during the War in Afghanistan (2001–2021) due to weather and economic factors. It generally ran from April to October and saw more combat deaths than the off-season.[1] The Taliban, who were the main insurgent group during the War, would annually call their post-winter fighting restart as their spring offensive.[2] [3] [4] [5] [6] [7]

Factors

Afghanistan has a harsh winter and a poor transportation system, leaving many parts of the country snowbound until spring. Many routes into Pakistan, where recruits and weapons come from, are similarly impassable for months.[8]

Opium poppies are planted beginning in October and harvest begins in April.[9] [10] Manpower that was tied up in the opium trade is freed up for fighting between April and October.

Madrassas in Pakistan go on recess during the spring. New recruits subjected to religious and military training often volunteer to fight in Afghanistan.[11] [8]

See also

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Matsumoto . Riki . 2019-03-19 . Afghanistan: "The Fighting Season" & Detecting Seasonality Using Facebook's Prophet (Working Draft) . 2023-01-20 . Medium . en.
  2. Web site: Deutsche Welle (www.dw.com) . Taliban announce spring offensive as Afghanistan peace talks continue | News | DW | 12.04.2019 . DW . 2021-02-24.
  3. Web site: Ahmed Rashid . Taliban announces spring offensive amid Afghan peace talks | Asia News . Al Jazeera . 2019-12-04 . 2021-02-24.
  4. News: 2017-04-28 . Afghan Taliban announce spring offensive . en-GB . BBC News . 2023-08-18.
  5. News: Graham-Harrison . Emma . 2012-04-15 . Taliban's 'spring offensive' reminds Kabul of insurgents' reach . en-GB . The Guardian . 2023-08-18 . 0261-3077.
  6. Web site: 2014-05-12 . Taliban Launches Spring Offensive Attacks, As Promised . 2023-08-18 . NBC News . en.
  7. Web site: Taliban vow spring offensive . 2023-08-18 . www.aljazeera.com . en.
  8. Web site: The End of Afghanistan's Spring Fighting Seasons and the Demise of the Afghan National Security Forces? . Small Wars Journal . 2021-02-24.
  9. Web site: Grain field crops . afghanag.ucdavis.edu . 2021-02-24 .
  10. Web site: Poppy growing season begins in Afghanistan after last year's record opium sale. November 14, 2013. The National. 2021-02-24.
  11. Web site: 'Madrassas are emptying' for final US fighting season in Afghanistan . TheHill . 2013-07-19 . 2021-02-24.

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