War in Afghanistan began

7th October 2001

The War in Afghanistan began on October 7th 2001, as the US military's Operation Enduring Freedom (OEF) was launched, along with the British military, in response to the September 11th (9/11) attacks on the US. The UK has, since 2002, led its own military operation, Operation Herrick, as part of the same war in Afghanistan.

The character of the war evolved from a violent struggle against Al-Qaeda and its Taliban supporters to a complex counterinsurgency effort.