Ismail Khan

Ismail Khan
Ismail Khan at the 2010 National Conference on Water Resources, Development and Management of Afghanistan
Minister of Energy and Water
In office
2004 – October 2013
PresidentHamid Karzai
Succeeded byMohammad Arif Noorzai
Governor of Herat Province
In office
2001 – 12 September 2004
PresidentHamid Karzai
Preceded byMulla Yaar Mohammad
Succeeded bySayed Mohammad Khairkhah
In office
1992–1997
Succeeded byMullah Yaar Mohammad
Personal details
Born1946 (age 77–78)
Shindand, Herat Province, Kingdom of Afghanistan
Political partyJamiat-e-Islami
OccupationPolitician, former Mujahideen leader
Military service
Branch/service Islamic National Army (1967‐79)
Years of service1967-2021
RankCaptain
Battles/wars

Mohammad Ismail Khan (Dari/Pashto: محمد اسماعیل خان) (born 1946) is an Afghan former politician who served as Minister of Energy and Water from 2005 to 2013 and before that served as the governor of Herat Province. Originally a captain in the Afghan Army, he is widely known as a former warlord who controlled a large mujahideen force, mainly his fellow Tajiks from western Afghanistan, during the Soviet–Afghan War.[1]

His reputation gained him the nickname Lion of Herat.[2] Ismail Khan was a key member of the now exiled political party Jamiat-e Islami and of the now defunct United National Front party.[3] In 2021, Ismail Khan returned to arms to help defend Herat from the Taliban's offensive, which he and the Afghan Army lost.[4] He was captured by the Taliban forces[5][6][7] and then reportedly fled to Iran on 16 August 2021.[8][9]

  1. ^ Cite error: The named reference in.news was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  2. ^ "Afghan warlord Ismail Khan, known as 'Lion of Herat', detained by Taliban as his city falls to insurgents". 13 August 2021.
  3. ^ Williams, Brian Glyn (2012). Afghanistan declassified : a guide to America's longest war (1st ed.). University of Pennsylvania Press: Philadelphia, 2011. pp. 29–30. ISBN 9780812206159. OCLC 793012539.
  4. ^ "On the front line in Afghanistan with Ismail Khan, the 'Lion of Herat'". Independent.co.uk. 9 August 2021.
  5. ^ Hassan, Sharif (13 August 2021). "An Afghan warlord who steadfastly resisted the Taliban surrendered. Others may follow his lead". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Archived from the original on 13 August 2021. Retrieved 13 August 2021.
  6. ^ "Former Herat governor and Afghan chief Ismail Khan has joined the Taliban with supporters". Nation World News. 13 August 2021. Archived from the original on 13 August 2021. Retrieved 13 August 2021.
  7. ^ "Ismail Khan joins Islamic Emirate with all his supporters and troops – Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan". Archived from the original on 17 August 2021. Retrieved 17 August 2021.
  8. ^ Jaafari, Shirin (16 August 2021). "Former warlord Ismail Khan led a militia against the Taliban. He spoke to The World days before Afghans lost the fight". The World. Cambridge, MA: Public Radio Exchange.
  9. ^ "The Taleban leadership converges on Kabul as remnants of the republic reposition themselves". Afghanistan Analysts Network - English. 19 August 2021.

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