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Topic timeline · 2001 – today

War on terror

8 events

The war on terror, officially the Global War on Terrorism (GWOT), is a global military campaign initiated by the United States in response to the September 11 attacks in 2001. A global conflict spanning multiple wars, some researchers and political scientists have argued that it replaced the Cold War.

Text from the Wikipedia article War on terror, CC BY-SA 4.0

This topic is contested. Event names and summaries follow Wikipedia, and each event links to its source article.

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  1. 2001 – 2021War in AfghanistanAfghanistanThe war in Afghanistan was a prolonged armed conflict from 2001 to 2021. It began with an invasion by a United States–led coalition under the name Operation Enduring Freedom in response to the September 11 attacks (9/11) carried out by the Taliban-allied and Afghanistan-based al-Qaeda.
  2. 2001September 11 attacksNew York and WashingtonHijacked planes strike the World Trade Center and the Pentagon, killing nearly 3,000 people.
  3. 20032003 invasion of IraqIraqThe 2003 invasion of Iraq was the first stage of the Iraq War. The invasion began on 20 March 2003 and lasted just over one month, including 26 days of major combat operations. The invasion was conducted by a United States–led coalition of mainly American, British, Australian, and Polish troops.
  4. 20042004 Madrid train bombingsMadridThe 2004 Madrid train bombings (also known in Spain as 11M for 11 de marzo) (or 3/11) were a series of coordinated, nearly simultaneous bombings against the Cercanías commuter train system of Madrid, Spain, on the morning of 11 March 2004—three days before Spain's general elections. The explosions killed 193 people and injured around 2,500.
  5. 20057 July 2005 London bombingsTavistock SquareOn 7 July 2005, Islamist terrorists carried out four coordinated suicide bombings targeting commuters travelling on London's public transport during the morning rush hour. The attacks are sometimes known as the 7/7 bombings or simply 7/7.
  6. 2011Killing of Osama bin LadenOsama bin Laden's compound in Abbottabad (2005-2012)On May 2, 2011, the United States conducted Operation Neptune Spear, in which SEAL Team Six shot and killed Osama bin Laden at his "Waziristan Haveli" in Abbottabad, Pakistan.
  7. 2014Fall of MosulMosulThe fall of Mosul refers to a historical event in Iraq, occurring between 4 and 10 June 2014, when Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) and allied insurgents captured the city of Mosul from the Iraqi Army. The ISIL forces were initially led by Abu Abdulrahman al-Bilawi, while the Iraqi army's forces were led by Lieutenant General Mahdi al-Gharrawi.
  8. 2021Fall of KabulKabulOn 15 August 2021, Afghanistan's capital city of Kabul was captured by the Taliban after a major insurgent offensive that began in May 2021. It was the final action of the War in Afghanistan, and marked a total victory for the Taliban.