Northern Alliance

Flag flown by the UIF Northern Alliance troops lined up next to the runway at Bagram Air Base , December 16, 2001. The United Islamic Front for the Salvation of Afghanistan ( UIF , Jabha-yi Muttahid-i Islami-yi Milli bara-yi Nijat-i Afghanistan ), more commonly known as the Northern Alliance , was a military-political umbrella organization created by the Islamic State of Afghanistan in 1996. The organization united various Afghan groups fighting against each other to fight the Taliban instead. Some of these ethnic groups are Shi’a or Ismaili. Among the groups that make up the Northern Alliance are: Jamiat-i Islami-yi Afghanistan (The Islamic Party of Afghanistan), headed by Rabbani and made up of predominantly Farsi-speaking Sunni Muslims. Hizb-i Wahdat-I Islami-yi Afghanistan (Islamic Unity Party of Afghanistan), the primary Shi’a party made up of ethnic Hazaras and supported militarily and politically by Iran. Junbish-i Milli-yi Islami-yi Afghanistan (National Islamic Movement of Afghanistan), a group of former members of the Communist regime. Harakat-i Islami-yi Afghanistan (Islamic Movement of Afghanistan), another shi’a party, led by Ayatollah Muhammad Asif Muhsini. In late 2001, with assistance from U.S. air support and US Special Forces , the UIF succeeded in retaking most of Afghanistan from the Taliban . Despite fears of a return to the chaos similar to that of the Afghan Civil War (1992-1996) , the UIF factions largely accepted the new order.

The Afghan Northern Alliance , officially known as the United Islamic Front for the Salvation of Afghanistan ( Jabha-yi Muttahid-i Islāmi-yi Millī barā-yi Nijāt-i Afghānistān ), was a military front that came to formation in late 1996 after the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan (Taliban) took over Kabul . The United Front was assembled by key leaders of the Islamic State of Afghanistan , particularly president Burhanuddin Rabbani and former Defense Minister Ahmad Shah Massoud . Initially it included mostly Tajiks but by 2000, leaders of other ethnic groups had joined the Northern Alliance. The Northern Alliance fought a defensive war against the Taliban government. They received support from Iran , Russia , Turkey , India , Tajikistan and others, while the Taliban were backed by al-Qaeda . The Northern Alliance was mostly made up of ethnic Tajiks , but later included Uzbeks , Hazaras , and Pashtuns . The Taliban government was dominated by Pashtuns with other groups being the minority. After the US-led invasion and establishment of the Karzai administration in late 2001, the Northern Alliance broke apart and different political parties were formed. Until recently, the alliance's main backers were Iran, Russia and Tajikistan. The alliance is primarily comprised of three non-Pashtun ethnic groups - Tajiks, Uzbeks and the Hazaras - and in the past relied on a core of some 15,000 troops to defend its territories against the predominantly Pashtun Taleban.

The Afghan Northern Alliance , officially known as the United Islamic Front for the Salvation of Afghanistan ( Jabha-yi Muttahid-i Islāmi-yi Millī barāyi Nijāt-i Afghānistān ), was a united military front that came to formation in late 1996 after the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan (Taliban) took over Kabul . The United Front was assembled by key leaders of the Islamic State of Afghanistan , particularly president Burhanuddin Rabbani and former Defense Minister Ahmad Shah Massoud . Initially it included mostly Tajiks but by 2000, leaders of other ethnic groups had joined the Northern Alliance. The Northern Alliance fought a defensive war against the Taliban government. They received support from Iran , Russia , Turkey , India , Tajikistan and others, while the Taliban were backed by Pakistan . By 2001 the Northern Alliance controlled less than 10% of the country, cornered in the north-east and based in Badakhshan province . The US invaded Afghanistan , providing support to Northern Alliance troops on the ground in a two-month war against the Taliban, which they won in December 2001. With the Taliban forced from control of the country, the Northern Alliance was dissolved as members and parties supported the new Afghan Interim Administration , with some members later becoming part of the Karzai administration . "Who are the Northern Alliance?" . 2001-11-13 . The alliance is primarily comprised of three non-Pashtun ethnic groups – Tajiks, Uzbeks and the Hazaras – and in the past relied on a core of some 15,000 troops to defend its territories against the predominantly Pashtun Taleban. Until recently, the alliance's main backers were Iran, Russia and Tajikistan.

1996–2001 anti-Taliban military front in Afghanistan This article is about the 1996–2001 Afghan military front. The Northern Alliance , officially known as the United Islamic National Front for the Salvation of Afghanistan ( Jabha-yi Muttahid-i Islāmi-yi Millī barāyi Nijāt-i Afghānistān ), was a military alliance of groups that operated between late 1996 to 2001 after the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan (Taliban) took over Kabul . The United Front was originally assembled by key leaders of the Islamic State of Afghanistan , particularly president Burhanuddin Rabbani and former Defense Minister Ahmad Shah Massoud . Initially it included mostly Tajiks but by 2000, leaders of other ethnic groups had joined the Northern Alliance. The Northern Alliance fought a defensive war against the Taliban regime. They received support from India , Iran , Russia , Tajikistan , Turkmenistan , the United States and Uzbekistan , while the Taliban were extensively backed by the Pakistan Army and Pakistan's Inter-Services Intelligence . By 2001, the Northern Alliance controlled less than 10% of the country, cornered in the north-east and based in Badakhshan province . The US invaded Afghanistan , providing support to Northern Alliance troops on the ground in a two-month war against the Taliban, which they won in December 2001. With the Taliban forced from control of the country, the Northern Alliance was dissolved as members and parties supported the new Afghan Interim Administration , with some members later becoming part of the Karzai administration . Amidst the Fall of Kabul in 2021 , former Northern Alliance leaders and other anti-Taliban figures regrouped as the National Resistance Front of Afghanistan . "Who are the Northern Alliance?" . 2001-11-13 . The alliance is primarily comprised of three non-Pashtun ethnic groups – Tajiks, Uzbeks and the Hazaras – and in the past relied on a core of some 15,000 troops to defend its territories against the predominantly Pashtun Taleban. Until recently, the alliance's main backers were Iran, Russia and Tajikistan. The Secret History of the CIA, Afghanistan, and Bin Laden, from the Soviet Invasion to September 10, 2001 . " 'Panjshir stands strong': Afghanistan's last holdout against the Taliban" . the Guardian . 2021-08-18 .