War in Afghanistan (2015–present) refers to the period of the war in Afghanistan following the US-led 2001–2014 phase. The U.S.-led war followed the September 11 attacks, aiming to dismantle al-Qaeda and deny it a safe-haven in Afghanistan by removing the Taliban from power. After 2001, the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) became increasingly involved, eventually running combat operations, under the direction of a U.S. commander. On 28 December 2014, NATO formally ended combat operations in Afghanistan and transferred full security responsibility to the Afghan government via a ceremony in Kabul, marking the beginning of the new phase of the conflict.