A current military offensive by the Taliban and allied military groups, including al-Qaeda, against Afghanistan and its allies began on 1 May 2021. It happened around the same time as the withdrawal of most U.S. troops from Afghanistan.
The offensive is known for the quick territorial gains of the Taliban, as well as its domestic and international problems.
By 15 July, over a third of Afghanistan's 421 districts were controlled by the Taliban, and by 21 July, half of Afghanistan was under Taliban control.
On 22 July, the British Foreign Office's reports said that the Afghan military could fall apart and the Taliban could soon return to power in Kabul as a result of of NATO soldiers' withdrawal. The Foreign Office's report said that the British embassy in Kabul might need to close. The British Foreign Secretary, Dominic Raab, believed that Kabul would be safe for the whole of 2021.
On 10 August, U.S. officials said that the Afghan capital, Kabul, could fall to the Taliban within 30 to 90 days. On 15 August, the Associated Press reported that the Taliban had reached and captured Kabul. This caused the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan's government to fall. The Taliban said that they were awaiting a "transfer" of power. On 15 August, following the near seizure of the capital, the Taliban occupied the Presidential Palace after the incumbent President Ashraf Ghani fled the country.