The rise and rise of Afghanistan's Taliban movement
Published on: Saturday 03 August 2019
The Taliban governed Afghanistan between 1996 and 2001, imposing strict Islamic sharia law before being ousted and launching an insurgency.
Here is some background:
Religious students
The Taliban originated among young Afghans who studied in Sunni Muslim schools called madrassas in Pakistan after fleeing Afghanistan during the 1979-1989 Soviet occupation.
They are named from Talib, the Arabic word for a student.
