Editing British Army (section)

==== War in Afghanistan ====
{{Main|War in Afghanistan (2001–2021)}}

[[File:3royalanglianafghan.JPG|thumb|250px|alt=Armed soldiers in and around a military vehicle|[[Royal Anglian Regiment]] in Helmand Province]]

In November 2001, as part of [[Operation Enduring Freedom]] with the United States, the United Kingdom deployed forces in [[Afghanistan]] to topple the [[Taliban]] in [[Operation Herrick]].<ref>{{harvnb|Mallinson|2009|p=452}}.</ref> The [[3rd Division (United Kingdom)|3rd Division]] were sent to [[Kabul]] to assist in the liberation of the capital and defeat Taliban forces in the mountains. In 2006 the British Army began concentrating on fighting Taliban forces and bringing security to [[Helmand Province]], with about 9,500 British troops (including marines, airmen and sailors) deployed at its peak<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.army.mod.uk/operations-deployments/22713.aspx|title=Why we are in Afghanistan|publisher=Ministry of Defence (MoD)|access-date=7 November 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141022195153/http://www.army.mod.uk/operations-deployments/22713.aspx|archive-date=22 October 2014|url-status=live}}</ref>—the second-largest force after that of the US.<ref>[http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/8305922.stm UK sends 500 more to Afghanistan] BBC News, 15 October 2009</ref> In December 2012 Prime Minister [[David Cameron]] announced that the combat mission would end in 2014, and troop numbers gradually fell as the [[Afghan National Army]] took over the brunt of the fighting. Between 2001 and 26 April 2014 a total of 453 British military personnel died in Afghan operations.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.gov.uk/government/fields-of-operation/afghanistan|title=British fatalities in Afghanistan|publisher=MoD|access-date=7 November 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150725021450/https://www.gov.uk/government/fields-of-operation/afghanistan|archive-date=25 July 2015|url-status=live}}</ref> Operation Herrick ended with the handover of [[Camp Bastion]] on 26 October 2014,<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-29776544|title=UK ends Afghan combat operations|date=26 October 2014|work=BBC News|access-date=26 October 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141026082004/http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-29776544|archive-date=26 October 2014|url-status=live}}</ref> but the British Army maintained a deployment in Afghanistan as part of [[Operation Toral]].<ref name=toral>{{cite web|url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2016/jul/09/uk-afghanistan-troops-increase-david-cameron|title=UK to increase troops in Afghanistan from 450 to 500|date=9 July 2016|work=The Guardian|access-date=4 January 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170207151415/https://www.theguardian.com/world/2016/jul/09/uk-afghanistan-troops-increase-david-cameron|archive-date=7 February 2017|url-status=live}}</ref>

Following an announcement by the US Government of the end of their operations in the Afghanistan, the Ministry of Defence announced in April 2021 that British forces would withdraw from the country by 11 September 2021.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-56744265|title=UK troops to begin 'drawdown' in Afghanistan|work=BBC News|date=14 April 2021}}</ref> It was later reported that all UK troops would be out by early July.<ref name="auto">{{Cite web|url=http://www.theguardian.com/world/2021/jul/02/uk-to-bring-home-last-remaining-troops-in-afghanistan-this-weekend|title=UK to bring home last remaining troops in Afghanistan this weekend|date=2 July 2021|website=The Guardian}}</ref> Following the collapse of the Afghan Army, and the completion of the withdrawal of civilians, all British troops had left by the end of August 2021.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-58372437|title=Afghanistan: British ambassador home as last UK troops leave|work=BBC News|date=29 August 2021}}</ref>