Editing Gulbuddin Hekmatyar (section)

===2008 resurgence===
In May 2008, the [[Jamestown Foundation]] reported that after being "sidelined from Afghan politics" since the mid-1990s, Hekmatyar's HIG group had "recently reemerged as an aggressive militant group, claiming responsibility for many bloody attacks against Coalition forces at the time, primarily the [[International Security Assistance Force]] and the administration of President [[Hamid Karzai]]." The re-emergence of him as an "experienced guerrilla strategist" came at a propitious time for insurgency, following the killing of Taliban commander Mullah [[Dadullah]], when some elements of the Taliban were becoming "disorganized and frustrated."<ref name="Jamestown"/> HIG claimed responsibility for and is thought to have at least assisted in a 27 April 2008 attempt on the life of President Karzai in Kabul that killed three Afghan citizens, including a member of parliament. Other attacks for which it was thought to be responsible included the 2 January 2008 shooting down in Laghman province of a helicopter containing foreign troops; the shooting and forcing down of a U.S. military helicopter in Sarubi district of Kabul on 22 January; and blowing up a Kabul police vehicle in March 2008, killing 10 soldiers.<ref name="Jamestown"/>

In interviews he demanded "all foreign forces to leave immediately unconditionally." Offers by President [[Hamid Karzai]] to open talks with "opponents of the government" and hints that they would be offered official posts "such as deputy minister or head of department", were thought to be directed at Hekmatyar. It was reported in 2008 that Hekmatyar lived in an unknown location in southeastern Afghanistan, close to the Pakistani border.<ref name=Jamestown/> In 2008, he denied any links with the [[Taliban]] or [[al-Qaeda]] and was even considered for prime minister.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/11/04/AR2008110403604_pf.html |title=Afghan Rebel Positioned for Key Role |newspaper=Washington Post |date=2008-11-05 |access-date=2014-06-20}}</ref> At the time, Hekmatyar was believed to shuttle between hideouts in Pakistan's mountainous tribal areas and northeast Afghanistan.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.boston.com/bostonglobe/editorial_opinion/oped/articles/2010/01/17/dealing_with_brutal_afghan_warlords_is_a_mistake/ |title=Dealing with brutal Afghan warlords is a mistake |work=Boston Globe |date=17 January 2010 |access-date=2014-06-20}}</ref>

In January 2010, he was still considered one of the three main leaders of the [[War in Afghanistan (2001–present)|Afghan insurgency]]. By then, he held out the possibility of negotiations with President Karzai and outlined a roadmap for political reconciliation. This contrasted with the views of Taliban leader [[Mullah Omar]] and allied insurgent chief [[Sirajuddin Haqqani]], who refused any talks with Kabul as long as foreign troops remained in the country, Hekmatyar appeared less reluctant.<ref>{{cite web|last=Trofimov |first=Yaroslav |url=https://www.wsj.com/articles/SB10001424052748704320104575015103412001066 |title=Afghan Insurgent Outlines Peace Plan |work=Wall Street Journal |date=2010-01-21 |access-date=2014-06-20}}</ref>

On 10 February 2014, Hekmatyar's HIG group executed an attack which killed two US civilians, Paul Goins and Michael Hughes, and wounded two other Americans and seven Afghan nationals. HIG was also responsible for a 16 May 2013 suicide VBIED attack in Kabul, which destroyed a US armored SUV and killed two US soldiers, four US civilian contractors, eight Afghans—including two children—and wounded at least 37 others. The attack marked the deadliest incident against US personnel in Kabul in 2013.