On 3 May 1919, forces of the Amanullah Khan-led Afghan army crossed the Durand Line and attacked British Indian positions, marking the onset of the Third Anglo-Afghan War. The move aimed to assert full Afghan independence in foreign affairs, breaking from British control. British India responded rapidly, mobilising troops and conducting counter-attacks over the following weeks. The conflict involved both conventional and frontier-tribe warfare, with the British using air raids and Afghan irregulars pressing border attacks. Though relatively short, the war had significant diplomatic impact: it pressured the British to negotiate and laid groundwork for Afghan sovereignty in external relations. The war formally ended in August 1919, though May marked its explosive beginning.
