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Op Toral A timeline of UK Operations in Afghanistan, 2001-Present

2001

September 2001

11th September: The September 11th Attacks. Four co-ordinated terrorist attacks against targets in the United States led to 2,977 deaths, plus 19 terrorists killed. The attacks were later determined to have been carried out by al-Qaeda.

12th September: NATO Article 5 is invoked.

13th September: Op VERITAS begins.

November 2001

7th November: Operation ENDURING FREEDOM begins.

15th November: First UK personnel arrive at Bagram air base.

December 2001

5th December: Bonn Agreement is signed.

14th December: Recce team led by GOC 3 (UK) Mech Div deploys to Kabul.

19th December: UK formally offers to lead International Security Assistance Force (ISAF).

20th December: United Nations Security Council Resolution 1386 (UNSCR 1386) establishes ISAF in Kabul to aid the Afghan Interim Authority.

20th December: Op FINGAL begins.

21st December: Commander International Security Assistance Force (COMISAF) arrives in theatre.

2002

January 2002

1st January: Interim ISAF HQ set up in Kabul.

4th January: Military Technical Agreement signed.

16th January: ISAF declared at Initial Operating Capability (IOC).

18th January: ISAF declared at Full Operating Capability (FOC).

February 2002

24th February: ISAF strength reaches 3000 personnel.

March 2002

2nd March: Op ANACONDA begins.

4th March: HQ ISAF established in Regency Building, Kabul.

10th March: Transfer of Authority (TOA) to 1 R ANGLIAN from 2 PARA as UKBG begins.

11th March: TOA to a German brigade HQ from 16 (Air Assault) Brigade as KMNB.

14th March: The Indira Gandhi children's hospital in Kabul, adopted by the 3rd Divisional Signal Regiment, has received its first batch of new beds and bedding, thanks to a grant from the Department for International Development, as well as a further batch of toys and other gifts donated by people in the Salisbury area.

15th March: TOA to 1 R ANGLIAN from 2 PARA as UKBG complete.

15th March: Op JACANA begins.

21st March: Royal Engineers serving with the International Security Assistance Force in Afghanistan have rebuilt a bridge on a key road between Kabul and Bagram, and dedicated it to the memory of a Royal Engineer VC holder killed in action nearby in 1879.

2002

April 2002

13th April: Op PTARMIGAN begins.

19th April: Op PTARMIGAN ends.

28th April: Op SNIPE begins.

May 2002

13th May: Op SNIPE ends

16th May: Op CONDOR begins

22nd May: Op CONDOR ends

23rd May: UNSCR 1386 extends ISAF until December 2002.

23rd May: Op BUZZARD begins

June 2002

13th June: Op BLUEBIRD begins.

20th June: Op BLUEBIRD ends.

20th June: TOA to Turkey from UK as lead nation for ISAF II.

July 2002

9th July: Op BUZZARD ends

10th July: Roulement of 3 Commando Logistic Regiment for HQ 3 Cdo Bde as Task Force JACANA.

18th July: Final combat element of Op JACANA is stood down.

24th July: UNSCR 1444 extends ISAF mandate until Dec 03.

2003

March 2003

28th March: UNSCR 1471 authorises United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) until Mar 04. Reviewed annually.

May 2003

8th May: UK announces it will lead the Provincial Reconstruction Team (PRT) in Mazar-e-Sharif (MES).

12th May: Op TARROCK begins. 2 R ANGLIAN deploy to provide 6-man Military Observer Teams (MOTs) to MES.

June 2003

10th June: Op TARROCK declares FOC.

August 2003

11th August: NATO takes responsibility for HQ ISAF.

September 2003

23rd September: TOA to 2 RGR from 2 R ANGLIAN on Op FINGAL and Op TARROCK.

2004

April 2004

1st April: TOA of PRTs from OEF to ISAF.

3rd April: 1 GH deploys to theatre as Afghanistan Roulement Infantry Battalion (ARIB).

July 2004

1st July: US-led PRT opens in Helmand.

September 2004

1st September: TOA to 1 WFR from 1 GH as ARIB.

October 2004

1st October: Op HERRICK begins.

2005

March 2005

30th March: Op HERRICK 2: TOA to 2 RGR from 1 WFR as ARIBOp HERRICK 3: TOA to 1 RGBWLI from 2 RGR as ARIB.

September 2005

3rd September: Op HERRICK 3: TOA to 1 RGBWLI from 2 RGR as ARIB.

2006

January 2006

26th September: Announcement that UK will deploy 3,300 personnel to the south of Afghanistan.

March 2006

16th March: UK hands responsilibity for MES PRT to Sweden.

April 2006

12th April: Op HERRICK 4: 16 (Air Assault) Bde (3150 - 4500 pax) deploy as Helmand Task Force (HTF).

May 2006

1st May: Formal flag change in Helmand. The UK assumes lead of Helmand PRT from United States.

4th May: Formal TOA to UK from Italy as lead nation for ISAF IX.

15th May: HQ HTF moves to Lashkar Gah (LKG).

16th May: Op MOUNTAIN THRUST begins.

29th May: 29 Five-month-old Jannik, whose German parents are part of the European Union delegation to Afghanistan, was among 21 diplomats and their families, plucked to safety by NATO troops, as rioting broke out in Kabul on Monday 29 May 2006.

July 2006

31st July: Op MOUNTAIN THRUST ends.

October 2006

6th October: Op HERRICK 5: TOA to 3 Cdo Bde (5200 pax) from 16 (Air Assault) Bde.

2007

April 2007

11th April: Op HERRICK 6: TOA to 12 Mech Bde (6500 pax) from 3 Cdo Bde.

May 2007

1st May: UK assumes command of Regional Command (South) (RC(S)) from the Netherlands. Formal TOA to Maj Gen J Page (UK) from Maj Gen van Loon (NLD) as COM RC(S).

June 2007

8th June: At Camp Sharabak in Helmand Province, soldiers from the Grenadier Guards are currently involved in mentoring the Afghan National Army, living, training and fighting alongside them, passing on the skills and training which will enable the Afghans to take responsibility for their own security.

October 2007

10th October: Op HERRICK 7: TOA to 52 Inf Bde (7750 pax) from 12 Mech Bde.

November 2007

7th November: A temporary Bde HQ, 11 Lt Bde, is formed to command TFH on HERRICK 11.

2008

April 2008

8th April: HQ 6th (UK) Division officially forms at Imphal Barracks, York. It is commanded by Maj Gen J Page. The HQ begins preparations to deploy as HQ RC(S) in November 2009.

9th April: OP HERRICK 8: TOA to 16 (Air Assault) Bde (8530 pax) from 52 Inf Bde.

August 2008

1st August: Op OQAB TSUKA begins.

September 2008

8th September: Op OQAB TSUKA ends.

October 2008

8th October: Op HERRICK 9: TOA to 3 Cdo Bde (8300 pax) from 16 (Air Assault) Bde.

December 2008

1st December: 01 An orphanage, a nursery and a women's centre all opened in Lashkar Gah last week thanks to the work of Afghan construction firms and 24 Commando Engineer Regiment.

2009

January 2009

23rd January: Maj Gen N Carter assumes command of HQ 6th (UK) Division ahead of the formation's deployment as HQ RC(S).

February 2009

25th February: Members of 33 Engineer Regiment (Explosive Ordnance Disposal) have recently assisted the Afghan National Army and Police in destroying nearly 70 items of dangerous, unexploded munitions in a series of controlled explosions.

March 2009

2nd March: Personnel from 19 Lt Bde begin deploying to Afghanistan.

17th March: After having received instruction from a Royal Engineer Explosive Ordnance Disposal Team, members of the Afghan Security Forces recently delivered explosive hazard awareness training to over 500 local Afghans in Nad 'Ali.

April 2009

10th April: Op HERRICK 10: TOA to 19 Lt Bde (8300 pax) from 3 Cdo Bde.

May 2009

18th May: Op PANCHAI PALANG begins.

2009

July 2009

27th July: Op PANCHAI PALANG ends.

August 2009

24th August: HQ 6th (UK) Division is re-designated HQ Combined Joint Task Force 6 (HQ CJTF-6) for the final stages of its training to deploy as HQ RC(S).

September 2009

21st September: A team of specialist Royal Engineers has helped construct millions of pounds worth of infrastructure across Helmand province this summer, including a new four-wing prison and a headquarters for the Counter Narcotics Police.

October 2009

10th October: Op HERRICK 11: TOA to 11 Lt Bde (9000 pax) from 19 Lt Bde.

November 2009

1st November: UK assumes command of HQ RC(S) from the Netherlands. Formal TOA to Maj Gen N Carter (UK) from Maj Gen de Kruif (NLD) as COM RC(S).

16th November: British military engineers have recently built a new bridge on the fringes of Nad 'Ali in Helmand province as part of a long term plan to improve the economic prosperity of the area.

2010

February 2010

13th February: Op MOSHTARAK begins.

May 2010

14th May: British cavalry soldiers from C Squadron of the Royal Dragoon Guards have taken up the mantle to protect and rebuild the village of Gorup-e Shesh Kalay near Nad 'Ali, following Operation MOSHTARAK.

June 2010

1st June: Handover of control of the Kajaki Area of Operations (AO) from TFH to US 1st Marine Expeditionary Force (1 MEF) begins.

5th June: A six-year-old boy gravely ill with tetanus has been saved by British Army medics who flew him several hundred miles from a remote village in Afghanistan to the British-run hospital at Camp Bastion.

14th June: HQ RC(SW) created by 1 MEF. TFH becomes OPCOM RC(SW).

July 2010

15th July: Handover of control of the Kajaki AO from TFH to 1 MEF ends.

September 2010

23rd September: 23 A new school which will educate hundreds of Afghan youngsters has been opened in Spina Kota, a village in the Bolan desert five kilometres from Lashkar Gah.

2010

October 2010

10th October: Op HERRICK 13: TOA to 16 (Air Assault) Bde (9500 pax) from 4 Mech Bde.

22nd October: Handover of control of the Sangin AO from TFH to 1 MEF ends.

November 2010

2nd November: UK relinquishes command of HQ RC(S). Formal TOA to US 10th Mountain Division from HQ CJTF-6 as HQ RC(S). Maj Gen N Carter (UK) transfers command to Maj Gen Terry (US).

December 2010

5th December: Children in a settlement just south of Nad 'Ali in Helmand province are receiving education for the first time in more than three years after British troops facilitated the refurbishment of a derelict school.

7th December: Op MOSHTARAK ends.

15th December: 15 British soldiers and their partners in the Afghan National Army have delivered winter coats, wellington boots and hats to Afghan children in a settlement recently controlled by the Taliban.

2011

February 2011

3rd February: Having suppressed insurgent activity in an Afghan village with frequent joint patrols, British and Afghan troops are now handing out kite kits to local children to help build relationships with the community.

8th February: Work is underway to build a new road which will form an important transport link for locals in an area of Helmand province where security is provided by British troops.

23rd March: A new crossing built by the Royal Engineers, which fords one of southern Helmand's largest waterways, has proven to be a major success with commuters, providing a lifeline to rural communities

March 2011

26th March: TOA between 1 MEF and 2 MEF as HQ RC(SW)

29th March: Afghan children in Helmand's Nad 'Ali district have been flocking in their droves to a boxing club opened by Shropshire-based soldiers from 1st Battalion The Royal Irish Regiment.

April 2011

10th April: Op HERRICK 14: TOA to 3 Cdo Bde (10787 pax) from 16 (Air Assault) Bde.

June 2011

1st June: Joint Force Support (Afghanistan) (JFSp(A)) 12: RN Individual Augmentee Headquarters.

11th June: Transition to Lead Security Responsibility (TLSR) in LKG complete.

July 2011

10th July: Op HERRICK 15: TOA to 20 Armd Bde from 3 Cdo Bde.

October 2011

1st October: JFSp(A) 13: 101 Log Bde

2012

February 2012

7th February: Soldiers from 5th Battalion The Rifles have helped district community councillors and local elders from a village in Nahr-e Saraj (South) get together at a 'shura' or meeting.

20th February: British Army divers have conducted a night-time diving operation in the Helmand River in Afghanistan in order to help with the development of irrigation and agriculture in the region.

May 2012

1st May: JFSp(A) 14: 102 Log Bde.

10th May: Op HERRICK 16: TOA to 12 Mech Bde from 20 Armd Bde.

June 2012

2nd June: TLSR programme for Nar-e-Saraj (NES) endorsed by the Provincial Governor.

July 2012

19th July: The British Armed Forces have returned 843 artefacts from the British Museum to the Afghan capital, Kabul, almost 20 years after they were stolen and smuggled abroad

September 2012

14th September: Insurgent attack on Camp Bastion

October 2012

10th October: Op HERRICK 17: TOA to 4 Mech Bde from 12 Mech Bde.

December 2012

1st December: JFSp(A) 15: 104 Logistic Support Brigade.

2013

January 2013

24th January: British-trained Afghan forces have demonstrated their expanding capability by successfully leading a large and complex operation to build a bridge over the Nahr-e Saraj canal in Afghanistan’s Helmand

February 2013

2nd February: TLSR of Route 611.

April 2013

10th April: Op HERRICK 18: TOA to 1 Mech Bde from 12 Mech Bde.

June 2013

1st June: JFSp(A) 16: RAF Individual Augmentee Headquarters.

18th June: TLSR complete.

August 2013

9th August: TFH HQ moves from LKG to Camp Bastion.

27th August: SCOTS DG deploy as first Kabul Support Unit (KSU).

29th August: Sappers from 22 Engineer Regiment have repaired a key bridge in the Lashkar Gah district of Helmand province.

October 2013

10th October: Op HERRICK 19: TOA to 7 Armd Bde from 1 Mech Bde.

10th October: JFSp(A) 17: 101 Log Bde.

2014

January 2014

5th January: US Marine Expeditionary Brigade (Afghanistan) takes command of RC(SW)

February 2014

4th February: British-mentored Afghan police officers have seized 400 kilos of hashish during an operation in Helmand province.

16th February: TOA to 1 COLDM GDS from SCOTS DG as KSU.

31st February: Helmand PRT closes.

April 2014

1st April: HQ TFH closes.

30th April: Op HERRICK 20: TOA to 20 Armd Bde from 7 Armd Bde.

August 204

16th August: TOA to 2 RIFLES from 1 COLDM GDS as KSU.

October 2014

28th October: RC(SW) ground operations end.

December 2014

10th December: Kabul Security Force (KSF) established.

28th December: ISAF mission in Afghanistan ends. It is replaced by the NATO RESOLUTE SUPPORT (RS) mission.

31st December: Op HERRICK ends.

2015

January 2015

1st January: Op TORAL begins.

February 2015

16th February: Op TORAL 1: TOA to 1 R ANGLIAN from 2 RIFLES. 1 R ANGLIAN deploy as Kabul Protection Unit (KPU) under HQ KSF.

August 2015

16th August: Op TORAL 2: TOA to 2 SCOTS from 1 R ANGLIAN as KPU.

2016

April 2016

17th April: Op TORAL 3: TOA to 2 RGR from 2 SCOTS as KPU.

December 2016

10th December: Op TORAL 4: TOA to 1 R IRISH from 2 RGR as KPU.

2017

August 2017

12th August: Op TORAL 5: TOA to 2 YORKS from 1 R IRISH as KPU.

2018

April 2018

11th April: Op TORAL 6: TOA to 1 WG from 2 YORKS as KPU.

November 2018

14th November: Op TORAL 7: TOA to 1 RGR and 1 R ANGLIAN from 1 WG as KPU.

2019

April 2019

26th April: Op TORAL 8: TOA to 1 R IRISH and 1 RIFLES as KPU

November 2019

8th November: Op TORAL 9: TOA to 2 PARA and 2 YORKS from 1 R IRISH and 1 RIFLES as KPU.

2020

May 2020

18th May: Op TORAL 10: TOA to 2 RIFLES and 4 SCOTS from 2 PARA and 2 YORKS as KPU.

October 2020

31st October: Op TORAL 11: TOA to 1 R ANGLIAN and 2 SCOTS from 2 RIFLES and 4 SCOTS as KPU.

2021

July 2021

Op Toral came to a close. British troops, along with NATO allies, began to withdraw from Afghanistan.

AUGUST 2021

British forces begin Op Pitting evacuation of UK nationals and Afghans from Kabul.