Asmar, Afghanistan
Asmar is a town and river valley in the Bar Kunar district of Kunar province, Afghanistan. The Kunar River runs through the valley, and the town sits about 983 meters above sea level. It serves as the district center.
The area has a long history, with ties to Gandhara and the Kushans, Ghaznavids, Ghorids, and Mughals, before Afghan rulers took control. In 1738, Nader Shah and Ahmad Shah Durrani conquered it. In the 19th century, British forces tried to take it but failed. In 1919, during Afghanistan’s War of Independence, local tribes fought on the Chatral front.
During the 1980s Soviet war, Afghan mujahideen used Asmar as a route to Pakistan. NATO forces controlled the area for a time, but after their withdrawal it returned to the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan.
The population is around 15,700 people. Most residents are farmers and laborers, and agriculture is the main income. The community is mostly Pashtun, with a small number of Nuristanis.
This page was last edited on 3 February 2026, at 18:02 (CET).