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Wars andconflicts of the 21st Century are featured on this pagein alphabetical order. This is an outgrowth of thepopular Newand Recent Conflictspage. This shows wars and conflicts waged in the 21stCentury from 2001 to the present. Each entry shows thename(s) of the conflict, the year it began, theparticipants in the war, and any pertinent details.Included are links to relevant History Guy pages andexternal links.
AfghanistanWar (also known as: "Operation Enduring Freedom,")(2001-Present) --United States, Afghan government vs.Taliban and al-Qaida. The guerilla war in Afghanistancontinues on, due in part to the distraction of Americanmilitary power in the wars in Iraq. Following initialdefeat in the American-led invasion of 2001 and 2002, theTaliban regrouped itself after being ousted from powerand once again controls large areas ofAfghanistan.
AlgerianCivil War (1991-2002)-Civil war between the Algeriangovernment and Islamist rebels. The war ended with agovernment victory. Some of the rebels joined in theIslamic Insurgency in the Maghreb to continue theirfight.
al-QaidaWar (also known as: "Operation Enduring Freedom,""Global War on Terror ") (at least 1998-Present) --UnitedStates vs. al-Qaida network of Osama bin Laden. TheAmerican public first became aware of al-Qaida in Augustof 1998, when the terrorist group blew up two U.S.Embassies in Africa. The U.S. soon responded withTomahawk Cruise Missile attacks on an al-Qaida trainingcamp in Afghanistan and a suspected chemical weaponsfactory in Sudan. The factory turned out to not berelated to any terrorist group.
Below aredetails from the 21st Century:
Terroristattack on the World Trade Center and thePentagon(September 11, 2001)--Terrorists, belonging to Osamabin Laden's al-Qaida organization, hijacked fourUnited States commercial passenger planes and flewthem into the World Trade Center in New York City andthe Pentagon in Virginia. The fourth plane crashed inPennsylvania.U.S.Operations Against al-Qaida inSomalia(2006-Present)
BaluchistanWar (2003-Present) --Pakistan Government vs. Baluchrebels. This is the latest in a series of rebellions bythe Baluch ethnic group in the region of Pakistan knownas Baluchistan. The Pakistanin governement is fightingthis war concurrently with the War in Waziristan (Seebelow).
BangladeshArmy Mutiny of 2009
BurundiCivil War (1994-Present) --Burundi Government vs.Hutu rebels
CentralAfrican Republic Army Mutiny (May 28,2001-Present)--Central African Republic government, Libyaand rebels from Congo (Front for the Liberation of Congo)vs. C.A.R. Army rebels. Following a failed army coup onMonday the 28th, fighting between loyal and rebel troopsescalated. Forces from Libya, Congo and possibly Chadentered the C.A.R. to help the government. The rebelforces continue to operate in the border areas, provokingclashes between the C.A.R. and Chad.
ChadRebellion (2005-Present) --Chadian rebels andSudanese-backed mercenaries attacked the Chadian capitalin an attempt to overthrow President Derby. With the aidof French military intelligence, the rebels were beatenback. The battle cost at least 350 lives. Most of theChad countryside is in rebel hands. This is related tothe ongoing Darfur War (see below)
(Video) Top 10 Deadliest Wars of the 21st Century | Top Top10sChechenWar(also known as: the Second Chechen War)(1999-Present) --Russian Government vs. Chechenirregulars/insurgents. After the initial Russian invasionof semi-independent Chechnya in 1999, the conflictsettled down to a classic guerilla war pitting theRussian military and security forces against both urbanand rural-based guerilla fighters. Over the past severalyears, the Chechens have taken the war to Russia'sheartland with several deadly terrorist attacks againstRussian civilian targets, the most famous such attackbeing the seizure of a Moscow movie theater, whichresulted in hundreds of casualties.
ColombianCivil War (1964-Present) --Colombian Government (withincreasing aid from the United States vs. Marxist rebelsand various narcotics cartels. A peace agreement reachedin 2016 was put to a vote of the people, and was voteddown. Negotiations between the government and the mainrebel group continue.
1st IvorianCivil War (2002-2007) --Ivory Coast Government vs.(mostly) Muslim rebels. France sent several thousand"peacekeeping" troops in the nation, but France clearlyfavors the government.
2nd IvorianCivil War (2011) --Ivory Coast President LaurentGbango vs. President-Elect Alassane Ouattara. The warended with the arrest of Gbango. France aided theOuattara faction.
DarfurWar (Feb. 2003-Present) --The Sudanese region ofDarfur is in rebellion against the Sudanese government.In response to the rebellion, the government issponsoring the Arab "Janjaweed" militias, who areconducting a campaign of genocide on the civilianpopulation of Darfur, as well as launching attacks onrefugees in neighboring Chad. This is related to therecent Chad Rebellion (see above)
TheEthiopia-Somalia War(2006-Present): In the latest phase of the long Somali CivilWar, Ethiopia intervened in late 2006 to aid theinternationally-recognized Somali government based in thecity of Baidoa. The Transitional Government of Somalia(TGS) is oppossed by the Islamic Courts Union (ICU), anIslamist group which seized control of the nationalcapital of Mogadushu earlier in 2006 from a coalition ofwarlords.
GazaWar 2008-2009
GazaWar 2012: Operation Pillar ofDefense--Israel'slatest Gaza War against Hamas
Georgia-RussiaWar (2008)--The2008 war between Georgia and Russia which began as a warbetween Georgia and the breakaway Georgian region ofSouth Ossetia.
HondurasCoup of June, 2009
India-BangladeshBorder Conflict(April 18-April 20, 2001) India vs. Bangladesh.--Bangladesh border troops seized a village near theborder which Bangladesh has claimed in the past. At least18 troops were killed from both sides.
(Video) Every War in the World: All 59 Global Conflicts and 164,721 Annual Deaths Explained - TLDR NewsIndia'sMaoist Insurgency/Naxalite GuerrillaWar (May 25,1967-Present): Beginning with a peasant uprising in thetown of Naxalbari, this Marxist/Maoist rebellion sputterson in the Indian countryside. The guerrillas operateamong the impoverished peasants and fight both thegovernment security forces and the private paramilitarygroups funded by wealthy landowners. Most fighting takesplace in the states of Andhra Pradesh, Mahrashtra, Orissaand Madhya Pradesh.
Intervention in The Gambia(2017)-Forces from the Economic Community of West AfricanStates (ECOWAS), entered The Gambia in order to installthe popularly elected, and internationally recognized newPresident Adama Barrow in power. The former president,Yahya Jammeh, lost the election, but is attempting toretain power. The ECOWAS nations supplying troops to thismission include Senegal, Nigeria, and Ghana. On Saturday,January 21, Jammah announced that he would step down fromthe presidency of The Gambia as the foreign troops wereready to resume marching on the capital of Banjul.
Iranian-AmericanCrisis(2019-2020)-Long-standinghostility and proxy warfare broke out into openhostilities with the U.S. assassination of a top Iranianmilitary official in Iraq, and the Iranian militaryresponse (ballistic missile attack) on U.S. forces inIraq.
IraqWar(also known as: "Operation Iraqi Freedom," "OperationTelic", Gulf War II, The Third Persian Gulf War)(2003-2011) --"The Coalition of the Willing" (UnitedStates, United Kingdom, Spain, Italy, Poland, Thailand,Bulgaria) vs. Iraqi irregular forces/insurgents, Al-Qaidain Iraq (Zarqawi's group), and various Shiite and Sunnimilitias--By far the most visible, most controversial,and most significant conflict on earth at the moment.President Bush considers this a vital part of the overallGlobal War on Terror, while many, including significantnumbers of Americans, do not agree that this is alegitimate part of the the anti-terror campaign.Regardless of its inclusion or not in the Global War onTerror, the war in Iraq continues, despite the Dec. 2003capture of Saddam Hussein.
GulfWar IIWarsof Iraq--HistoryGuy page
2003Iraq war timeline - Wikipedia
Israel-PalestinianWar(also known as: al-Aqsa Intifada, 2nd Intifada)(2001-2005) --Israel vs. Palestinian Authority, Hamas,Islamic Jihad and other Palestinian militias and guerillagroups. While overall violence has subsided, Palestiniansuicide attacks still occur. as do Israeli strikes atPalestinian targets. Both types of actions ofteninitiates a new cycle of attacks. Since the death ofYasser Arafat and the successful Palestinian elections,the prospect of a lasting peace are somewhat improved.
(Video) The Crisis of the 21st Century.Israel-SyrianConflict (1948-Present)--Israel vs. Syria. Israel and Syria first clashed in1948-1949, as Syria joined other Arab nations in theFirst Arab-Israeli War. Subsequent full-scale warsbetween them erupted in the 1967 Arab-Israeli War, the1973 Arab-Israeli War, and the 1982 Israeli Invasion ofLebanon. In-between these major wars, the two enemiesoften clash along their mutual border and also inneighboring Lebanon, which Israel has invaded severaltimes, and where the Syrian military kept anoccupation/peacekeeping force from the mid 1970s to theSpring of 2005. As the Syrian Civil War intesified, andIranian and Hezbollah intervention inside Syria grew,Israel's covert and secret bombings of Syrian-government,Iranian, and Hezbollah targets in Syria increased. By2019 and 2020, Israel began openly attacking suchtargets, claiming self-defense as Iran and Hezbollah areactive foes of Israel.
IsraeliAir Strike on Syrian Nuclear Plant (Sept.6, 2007)Israeli warplanes overflew northernSyria, dropping ordnance on a (publicly) unknowntarget. It was later revealed that the target was anuclear facility being built with North Korean aid andassistance. This attack had precedent: In 1981, Israelbombed an under-construction nuclear plant in Iraq, toprevent Saddam Hussein from gaining a nuclearweapon.ISIS War(2014-Present) -The Islamic State's attempt to carveout a new Caliphate out of Syria and Iraq grew out of thecivil wars in those two Arab states. Beginning in August,2014, the United States and other nations began anintervention in this conflict. This war has morphed intoa regional conflict, with ISIS involved in warfare inIraq, Syria, Yemen, Libya, and Egypt's Sinai Peninsula.By 2017, most of Iraqi territory was liberated from ISIS,and by mid-2019, the last ISIS-held town in Syria wasliberated. Also in 2019, the U.S. managed to kill theISIS leader, al-Baghdadi. Combat and airstrikes continuedin both countries as the Coalition battled ISIS guerrillafighters.
KoreanConflict (1950-Present) --North Korea vs. South Koreaand the United States. Following the well-known KoreanWar of 1950-1953, cross-border incursions continued, asdid naval battles, and North Korean acts of terrorismdirected at South Korea and United States forcesstationed in the South.
Border clashescontinued between North and South Korea in 2001, 2002,2009, and 2010. Tensions remain high also due to NorthKorea's continual missile tests, and the development of aNorth Korean nuclear weapon in 2006.
FirstLibyan Civil War(2011)-One of the military conflicts that arose out ofthe Arab Spring of 2011, rebels in Libya overthrew thelongtime dictatorship of Colonel Muammar Khadaffy. Therebels were aided by the United States, NATO, and severalSunni Arab states.
SecondLibyan Civil War (2014-Present)-Following the ousterand death of Khadaffy in 2011, various factions andmilitias jockeyed for power and influence in Libya.Foreign intervention has played a part in this war, asEgypt, Qatar, the UAE, as well as the United States,Britain, and France, have all participated aiding oneside or another. Beginning August 1, 2016, the U.S.military has officially participated as the Libyangovernment (the one recognized by most of the world),battles the Islamic State (ISIS) for control of the cityof Sirte.
In 2019 and2020, the army of General Hifter attacked the GNA-heldcapital of Tripoli, sparking Turkish militaryintervention in support of the GNA government.
MacedonianAlbanian Uprising (2001) --Macedonian Government vs.ethnic Albanian rebels. The Albanian rebels soughtrecognition and autonomy from the government. NATO andU.S.-backed peace talks resolved the conflict.
Mali War(2012-Present)-Following the fall of Libya's MuammarKhadaffy, a large force of Tuareg mercenaries that hadformed part of his army fled Libya with extensiveweaponry, and made their way home to northern Mali.There, they launched a major rebellion against the Maligovernment. The war morphed into an Islamic insurgency,as Islamist groups including al-Qaida in the IslamicMaghreb, joined the Tuareg rebels. On January 11, 2013,the French military launched Opération Serval,intervening in the war in order to halt a successfulrebel offensive that threatened the Mali government andforces. French, Malian, and allied African forces drovethe rebels back into the northern deserts. The UnitedStates also was involved, supplying logistics, arms,training, and transportation to allied forces. Thisconflict is only the latest in a long historyof Tuareg rebellions in northwestAfrica.
Islamistforces, including ISIS-allied groups, continued militaryactivities against Malian and French forces into2020.
Mount ElgonInsurgency --(2005-2008) The Sabaot Land DefenceForce militia revolted in the Mount Elgon area, WesternKenya. The Kenyan military defeated the militia in2008
(Video) Russo-Georgian War - Europe's First War of the 21st CenturyNepalCivil War(1996-2006) --Nepal Government vs. Marxist rebels. Therebels sought to destroy the Royal Monarchy and replaceit with a Marxist/Maoist system. A comprehensive peaceagreement was reached in 2006, ending the state ofrebellion, and legitimizing the Nepalese Communist Partyas a legal political faction. The monarchy was abolishedin 2008.
SolomonIslands Unrest (2006) Solomon Islands Government,Australia, New Zealand vs. rioters --Following theelection of a new Prime Minister, severe rioting brokeout which drove many islanders of Chinese descent out ofthe Solomons. Australia and New Zealand sent troops torestore order. The riots began on April 18.
Sri LankanCivil War (19832009)
Syrian CivilWar and Foreign Intervention (2011-Present)--Whatbegan as more or less peaceful protests in 2011 as a partof the region-wide "Arab Spring," escalated into one ofthe most violent wars of the 21st Century. As of 2017,Syria is torn apart in a multi-sided conflict that pitsthe Assad regime (Syrian government) and its alliesRussia, Iran, and Hezbollah against various rebel groupsincluding the Free Syrian Army, ISIS, al-Qaida, the NusraFront, and multiple Kurdish militias. The United Statesand other NATO nationss (including Britain, France, andTurkey) are supporting anti-regime rebels while alsofighting against ISIS. The U.S. supports the Kurds, butthe Turks oppose the Kurds. The Assad government has usedchemical weapons on rebels and civilians, prompting theApril, 2017 American missile strike on a Syrian air basein retaliation. See also American-SyrianWars and Conflictspage.
Asub-conflict of the Syrian War is the militaryintervention of Turkey in Syria, which has led toTurkish-SyrianConflict in northernSyriain 2020.ThailandPolitical Unrest (2006 Present) Thai governmentvs. Protesters --Thailand's current political crisisbegan in 2006 with
Thai MuslimRebellion (2003 Present) Thailand vs. MuslimSeparatists --Thailand's Muslim population, located inthe south near the border with Malaysia, rebelled in2003. A similar campaign of violence hit the south in the1970s and 1980s.
Thai-Myanmar(Burma) BorderConflict(Feb., 2001 and May, 2001) Thailand vs. Myanmar(Burma)--Myanmar's very long civil war spilled over intoThailand on at least two occasions in 2001.
TuaregRebellion in Mali (2007-2009)-Conflict between TuaregBerbers in the north and the Black dominated governmentof Mali.
UkraineCivil War/Donbass War (2014-Present)-Pro-Russianrebels, with military aid from Russia, have seized Crimeaand large swaths of eastern Ukraine.
WaziristanWar(2003 Present) Pakistan vs. Taliban/al-QaidaInsurgents--Muslim extremists allied with the AfghanTaliban and the al-Qaida terrorist network battlePakistani troops in the mountainous Waziri region ofnorthwest Pakistan.
YemenWar (orginally listed as Sa'dah al-Houthi Rebellion inYemen)(2004-Present)-Whilethis war remained localized in northern Yemen for years,and sparked a short Saudi intervention against the ShiiteHouthis, recent political upheavals in Yemen aided theHouthi cause, enabling the rebels to occupy the capitalcity in 2014. The war grew in intensity as multipleforeign nations intervned, and Yemen became a proxybattleground between Iran and a U.S. and Saudi-ledCoalition.
(Video) Every Ongoing War Explained: All 56 Global Conflicts and 113,523 Annual Deaths Explained - TLDR News
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