Northern Alliance

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.This included Abdul Rashid Dostum, Mohammad Mohaqiq, Abdul Qadir, Asif Mohseni and others. 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 joined the new establishment of the Karzai administration.