A timeline of events in Afghanistan in the 3 years since the Taliban's takeover

A timeline of events in Afghanistan in the 3 years since the Taliban’s takeover

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FILE - Afghan women wait to receive food rations distributed by a humanitarian aid group, in Kabul, Afghanistan, May 23, 2023. The Taliban Virtue and Vice Ministry had on May 7, 2022 ,said women in public must wear all-encompassing robes and cover their faces except for their eyes. (AP Photo/Ebrahim Noroozi, File)

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File - Taliban fighters take control of the Afghan presidential palace after Afghan President Ashraf Ghani fled the country, in Kabul, Afghanistan, Aug. 15, 2021. (AP Photo/Zabi Karimi, File)

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FILE - This image from a video released by the Department of Defense shows U.S. Marines around the scene at Abbey Gate outside Hamid Karzai International Airport on Aug. 26, 2021, in Kabul Afghanistan, after a suicide bomber detonated an explosion. (Department of Defense via AP, File)

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FILE - Girls walk upstairs as they enter a school before class in Kabul, Afghanistan on Sept. 12, 2021. On March 23, 2022 the Taliban abruptly reversed a promise to allow girls above the sixth grade to attend school. (AP Photo/Felipe Dana, File)

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FILE -A man walks out of his damaged house after a powerful earthquake in Gayan village, in Paktika province, Afghanistan, June 24, 2022. (AP Photo/Ebrahim Nooroozi, File)

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FILE - In this 1998 file photo made available on March 19, 2004, Ayman al-Zawahri poses for a photograph with Osama bin Laden in Khost, Afghanistan. On July 31, 2022 — The U.S. killed al-Qaida leader Ayman al-Zawahri in a drone strike on a safe house in Kabul..(AP Photo/Mazhar Ali Khan, File)

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FILE -A view of the education center that was attacked by a suicide bomber, in Kabul, Afghanistan, Sept. 30, 2022. (AP Photo/Ebrahim Noroozi), File)

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FILE, Female Afghan Taekwondo team members practice during a training session in Kabul, Afghanistan, March 1, 2021. The Taliban on Nov. 10, 2022 banned women from using gyms and parks. (AP Photo/Rahmat Gul, File)

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FILE - Afghan students queue at one of Kabul University’s gates in Kabul, Afghanistan, on Feb. 26, 2022. Women are banned from private and public universities in Afghanistan with immediate effect and until further notice, a Taliban government spokesman said on, Dec. 20, 2022. (AP Photo/Hussein Malla, File)

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FILE- Beauticians put makeup on customers at Ms. Sadat’s Beauty Salon in Kabul, Afghanistan, April 25, 2021. The Taliban on July 4, 2023 ordered beauty salons to shut down for offering allegedly un-Islamic services like eyebrow shaping. (AP Photo/Rahmat Gul, File)

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FILE -In this handout photo released by the Taliban Prime Minister Media Office, China’s new ambassador to Afghanistan Zhao Sheng meets with Taliban Prime Minister Mohammad Hasan Akhund during the recognition ceremony at the Presidential Palace in Kabul, Afghanistan, Wednesday, Sept. 13, 2023. (Taliban Prime Minister Media Office via AP, File)

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FILE -Afghan children carry donated aid to their tents, while they are scared and crying from the fierce sandstorm, after a massive earthquake in Zenda Jan district in Herat province, western of Afghanistan, Oct. 12, 2023. (AP Photo/Ebrahim Noroozi, File)

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FILE -An Afghan man walks near his damaged home after heavy flooding in Baghlan province in northern Afghanistan, May 11, 2024. (AP Photo/Mehrab Ibrahimi, File)

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Taliban leaders and fighters attend a ceremony to celebrate the third anniversary of the withdrawal of U.S.-led troops from Afghanistan, in Bagram Air Base in the Parwan Province of Afghanistan, Wednesday, Aug. 14, 2024. (AP Photo/Siddiqullah Alizai)

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Afghans attend a ceremony to celebrate the third anniversary of the withdrawal of U.S.-led troops from Afghanistan, in Bagram Air Base in the Parwan Province of Afghanistan, Wednesday, Aug. 14, 2024. (AP Photo/Siddiqullah Alizai)

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Taliban leaders attend a ceremony to celebrate the third anniversary of the withdrawal of U.S.-led troops from Afghanistan, in Bagram Air Base in the Parwan Province of Afghanistan, Wednesday, Aug. 14, 2024. (AP Photo/Siddiqullah Alizai)

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By RIAZAT BUTT

KABUL, Afghanistan (AP) — Here is a look at key dates since the Taliban returned to power three years ago, as United States and NATO forces withdrew from the country:

Aug. 15, 2021 — The Taliban march into Kabul as internationally backed President Ashraf Ghani flees the country.

Aug. 26, 2021 — Islamic State group suicide bombers and gunmen kill over 170 Afghans and 13 U.S. troops in an attack on the crowds trying to be evacuated at Kabul’s airport.

March 23, 2022 — On the day high schools are opening, the Taliban abruptly reverse a promise to allow girls above the sixth grade to attend school.

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May 7, 2022 — The Taliban Virtue and Vice Ministry says women in public must wear all-encompassing robes and cover their faces except for their eyes. It advises them to stay home unless they have important work outside the house.

June 22, 2022 — A powerful earthquake hits a remote region of eastern Afghanistan, killing more than 1,100 people. The Taliban struggle with rescue efforts, underscoring a lack of resources and a reliance on aid groups.

July 31, 2022 — The U.S. kills al-Qaida leader Ayman al-Zawahri in a drone strike on a safe house in Kabul. American officials accuse the Taliban of sheltering him.

Sept. 30, 2022 — A suicide bomber strikes an education center in a Shiite area of the capital, killing dozens of people, including teenagers taking university entrance exams.

Nov. 10, 2022 — A nationwide ban on women using gyms and parks comes into force. The Taliban say they imposed the ban because women allegedly disobeyed gender segregation rules or didn’t cover themselves properly.

Nov. 20, 2022 — The Taliban lash 19 people, including alleged adulterers, in the first public flogging since their return to rule.

Dec. 8, 2022 — The Taliban execute a convicted killer before hundreds of spectators in the first public execution since the takeover.

Dec. 21, 2022 — The Taliban bar female students from attending university. Afghanistan is the only country in the world that bans female education.

Dec. 24, 2022 — The Taliban bar Afghan women from working with national and international nongovernmental groups.

July 4, 2023 — The Taliban order beauty salons to shut down for offering allegedly un-Islamic services like eyebrow shaping. The decision affects as many as 60,000 female entrepreneurs.

Sept. 13, 2023 — The Taliban hail China’s new ambassador with fanfare. Months later, the Taliban officially send their new ambassador to Beijing.

Oct. 4, 2023 — Pakistan announces a major crackdown on foreigners living in the country illegally, including 1.7 million Afghans. The Taliban, the U.N. and rights groups condemn the policy.

Oct. 7, 2023 — A 6.3 magnitude earthquake in western Herat province kills thousands of people. More quakes follow, bringing further devastation to the area.

Nov. 15, 2023 - FlyDubai becomes the first international carrier to resume flights to Kabul after a two-year hiatus. AirArabia and Turkish Airlines follow suit.

Jan. 4, 2024 — The Taliban arrest women in Kabul for wearing “bad hijab,” the first official dress code crackdown since they returned to power.

Feb. 22, 2024 — The Taliban hold a double execution at a stadium in the country’s southeast while thousands of people watch.

May 11, 2024 — Flash floods in Afghanistan’s north from unusually heavy seasonal rains kill more than 300 people.

May 17, 2024 — Shooters open fire in central Bamiyan province killing six people, including three Spanish holidaymakers. It’s a blow to the Taliban’s plans to woo tourists. IS claims the attack.

June 4, 2024 — The Taliban publicly flog at least 60 people, including more than a dozen women, accused of crimes such as sodomy, theft and immoral relations.

June 4, 2024 — The leader of the United Arab Emirates meets a Taliban official with a U.S. bounty on his head over his involvement in an attack that killed an American citizen and other assaults. It highlights the growing divide on how to deal with the Taliban.

June 30, 2024 — The Taliban attend a U.N.-sponsored meeting in Qatar. Although it’s the third such gathering, it’s the first time the Taliban are attending. There’s backlash after Afghan women and civil society representatives are excluded.

July 30, 2024 — The Taliban say they no longer recognize Afghan diplomatic missions staffed by diplomats from the former Western-backed government.