Taliban

Taliban (طالبان)
Participant in the War in Afghanistan
Flag of the Taliban.
Active	1994–1996 (militia) 1996–2001 (government) 2002–present (insurgency)
Ideology	Deobandi fundamentalism Pashtunwali Religious nationalism
Groups	Pashtuns
Leaders	Hibatullah Akhundzada (current leader) Mullah Muhammad Rasul (splinter faction)
Headquarters	Kandahar, Afghanistan (1996–2001) Quetta, Pakistan Peshawar, Pakistan
Area of operations	Under control of the Afghan Government, NATO, and Allies   Under control of the Taliban, Al-Qaeda, and Allies   Under control of the Islamic State (ISIL) and Allies
Strength	45,000 (2001 est.) 11,000 (2008 est.) 36,000 (2010 est.) 60,000 (2014 est.)
Originated as	Students of Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam
Allies	Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan Haqqani network al-Qaeda Tehreek-e-Nafaz-e-Shariat-e-Mohammadi Caucasus Emirate Lashkar-e-Jhangvi Hezb-e Islami Gulbuddin Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan
Opponents	State opponents Islamic Republic of Afghanistan NATO ISAF Non-state opponents Khorasan Province Jamiat-e Islami Junbish-i-Milli Hezbe Wahdat
Battles and wars	Afghan Civil War (1992–96) Afghan Civil War (1996–2001) War in Afghanistan (2001–14) War in Afghanistan (2015–present)
Website	http://shahamat-english.com/

State opponents Islamic Republic of Afghanistan NATO
ISAF
Non-state opponents

The Taliban (Pashto: طالبان‎ ṭālibān "students"), alternatively spelled Taleban, is an Sunni Islamic fundamentalist political movement in Afghanistan currently waging war (an insurgency, or jihad) within that country. From 1996 to 2001, it held power in Afghanistan and enforced a strict interpretation of Sharia, or Islamic law, of which the international community and leading Muslims have been highly critical. Until his death in 2013, Mullah Mohammed Omar was the supreme commander and spiritual leader of the Taliban. Mullah Akhtar Mansour was elected as his replacement in 2015, and following Mansour's killing in a May 2016 U.S. drone strike, Mawlawi Haibatullah Akhundzada became the group's leader.