ctions ▁in ▁Kab ul , ▁and ▁the ▁city ▁experienced ▁heavy ▁bomb ard ment ▁from ▁them . ▁Each ▁of ▁these ▁were ▁supported ▁by ▁an ▁outside ▁power , ▁such ▁as ▁Pakistan , ▁Iran , ▁or ▁Sa udi ▁Arab ia , ▁who ▁were ▁seeking ▁influence ▁in ▁Afghan istan . ▁This ▁conflict ▁ended ▁in ▁ 1 9 9 6 ▁after ▁the ▁Tal ib an , ▁a ▁relatively ▁new ▁milit ia ▁back ed ▁by ▁Pakistan ▁and ▁enfor ced ▁by ▁several ▁thousand ▁al - Q a eda ▁f igh ters ▁from ▁Arab ▁countries , ▁took ▁Kab ul . ▁ ▁The ▁Afghan ▁Civil ▁War ▁( 1 9 9 6 – 2 0 0 1 ) ▁started ▁immediately ▁after ▁the ▁Tal ib an ' s ▁capture ▁of ▁Kab ul ▁which ▁involved ▁a ▁new ▁military - polit ical ▁resistance ▁force ▁called ▁Northern ▁Alliance ▁fighting ▁against ▁the ▁Tal ib an ▁and ▁their ▁partially ▁recognized ▁Em ir ate . ▁Through out ▁this ▁period ▁the ▁Tal ib an ▁were ▁in ▁control ▁of ▁almost ▁all ▁of ▁the ▁country , ▁as ▁the ▁Northern ▁Alliance ▁fought ▁most ▁of ▁the ▁time ▁on ▁the ▁defense . ▁The ▁Alliance ' s ▁leader ▁was ▁assass in ated ▁by ▁al - Q a eda ▁members ▁on ▁September ▁ 9 , ▁ 2 0 0 1 . ▁ ▁The ▁United ▁States ▁invasion ▁of ▁Afghan istan ▁started ▁on ▁October ▁ 7 , ▁ 2 0 0 1 . ▁The ▁United ▁States ▁sought ▁to ▁remove ▁the ▁Tal ib an ▁from ▁power ▁as ▁they ▁were ▁hosting ▁al - Q a eda ▁terror ists ▁and ▁cam ps ,