31°49′N64°33′E / 31.817°N 64.550°E /31.817; 64.550

Grishk
Grishk district riverside
Grishk Location in Afghanistan
Coordinates:31°49′N64°33′E / 31.817°N 64.550°E /31.817; 64.550
Country	Afghanistan
Province	Helmand Province
Elevation	2,680 ft (817 m)
Time zone	UTC+4:30

Grishk^[a] is the new name ofZamindawar which is named after the invasion of the region byNader Afshar army and given toGhilji tribe in 18th century. Grishk a town inGrishk District ofHelmand province, geographically located along theHelmand River inAfghanistan, some 120 km (75 mi) northwest ofKandahar, at 817 metres (2,680 ft) altitude. Upstream lies theKajaki Dam which diverts water to theBoghra Irrigation Canal, an essential infrastructure for the region's crops.Grishk Dam is also nearby. Grishk was originally built around a fort on the east bank of the river but was later rebuilt on the west. The fort was twice captured by the British: first in theFirst Anglo-Afghan War and again in 1879. In both cases the fort was later abandoned. Grishk has a population of about 48,546 and has a hospital and a school of engineering which was built back in 1957.

Grishk is located on the important transport route known asHighway 1, which was built during the time of theSoviet–Afghan War. This route linksFarah Province in the west and toKandahar Province in the east. As part ofOperation Moshtarak theBritish Army and Afghan workers are constructingRoute Trident, a road that will eventually connect Grishk with the provincial capital ofLashkar Gah.^[1] Grishk is also the southern terminus ofRoute 611. The area is irrigated by theHelmand and Arghandab Valley Authority.^[2]

Grishk has ahot desert climate (KöppenBWh), characterised by little precipitation and high variation between summer and winter temperatures. The average temperature in Grishk is 19.6 °C, while the annual precipitation averages 117 mm. Summers start in mid-May, last until late-September, and are extremely dry. July is the hottest month of the year with an average temperature of 32.2 °C. The coldest month January has an average temperature of 7.0 °C.

The population of Grishk is primarily made up of Pashtuns, along with large minorities of Hazaras and Shia Tajiks, being one of the only regions of Helmand province with a significant Shia minority.^[4] Grishk was under control ofNoorzai tribe during the time of firstTaliban government, and Mullah Mir Hamza an ethnic Pashtun from Noorzai tribe was the District governor of Grishk, while Mullah Mahmmad Azam an ethnic Pashtun from Noorzai tribe was the commander of Taliban forces in Grishk.^[5][6]

In November 2003, Afghan CivilianAbdul Wahed died in Grishk at the special forces base, after being exposed to torture by the Afghan army.^[7] In April 2008 the 2nd Battalion 7th Marines, Echo Co, which was sent there to help support train the Afghan Police, worked with the Danish and British military.^[8]

On December 4, 2008, two Danish soldiers were killed near Grishk.^[9]

In June 2017, the son of Taliban leaderHibatullah Akhundzada, named Hafiz Abdur-Rahman, committed a suicide attack against Afghan forces based in the city.^[10]

The city, along with other parts of Helmand province and the whole of Afghanistan, fell to Taliban forces as a result of the2021 Taliban offensive.

• Helmand Province

• Populated places in Helmand Province

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