Taliban in Afghanistan

At least nine Taliban fighters attacked Kandahar Airport — a military and civilian airport in southeastern Afghanistan — on Dec. 8, killing at least 37 people and seizing hostages. The battle lasted for 26 hours until the Afghani army was able to fully retake the airport. The airport also houses a NATO base. Kandahar is the country’s second-largest city.

On Dec. 21, a suicide bomber struck a NATO base in Bagram, in the northeast, killing six soldiers, including Americans. Later that day, three rockets struck in neighboring Kabul near the entrance to the US Embassy. The Taliban, an Islamic fundamentalist movement, was blamed for both attacks.

In Helmand Province in the southwest, Taliban soldiers attacked the city of Sangin in late December, taking control of much of the city by Dec. 21. Fighting was ongoing as of press time.