War in Afghanistan (2001-)

The War in Afghanistan (2001–present) refers to the intervention by North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO) and allied forces in the ongoing Afghan civil war. The war followed the September 11 attacks, and its public aims were to dismantle al-Qaeda and denying it a safe basis of operation in Afghanistan by removing the Taliban from power.

Though vastly outgunned and outnumbered, the Taliban insurgents, most notably the Haqqani Network and Hezb-e-Islami Gulbuddin, have waged asymmetric warfare with guerilla raids and ambushes in the countryside, suicide attacks against urban targets and turncoat killings against coalition forces. The Taliban exploited weaknesses in the Afghan government, among the most corrupt in the world, to reassert influence across rural areas of southern and eastern Afghanistan. ISAF responded in 2006 by increasing troops for counterinsurgency operations to "clear and hold" villages and "nation building" projects to "win hearts and minds".

As of 2013, tens of thousands of people had been killed in the war. Over 4,000 ISAF soldiers and civilian contractors as well as over 10,000 Afghan National Security Forces had been killed.

U.S. Defense Secretary Carter talks with troops on Kandahar Airfield, Afghanistan, Feb 2015

Taken on: 2015-02-22
Source: United States DoD photo by Glenn Fawcett

Security Footage Prior to Attack on Afghanistan Police HQ, Nov 2014

Taken on: 2014-11-09
Source: CCTV Footage via BBC

Meeting with Ashraf Ghani, Kabul Afghanistan, October 2014

Taken on: 2014-10-03
Source: Richard D. Sherba/US Army

US & ANA Troops Hike Through Paktia Mountains, Afghanistan, September 2014

Taken on: 2014-09-20
Source: (DoD photo by Spc. Steven Cope, U.S. Army/Released)

US Special Forces Return Fire, Mizan Afghanistan, March 2014

Taken on: 2014-03-18
Source: Sara Wakai/US Army

American & Afghan Mechanized Convoy

Taken on: 2014-03-07
Source: USASOC News Service/Flickr

Afghan Security Forces Stand Guard After Deadly Attack on Red Cross, Jalalabad, May 2013

Taken on: 2013-05-29
Source: VOA

Afghan Police Deployment After Taliban Attack on Red Cross, Jalalabad, May 2013

Taken on: 2013-05-29
Source: VOA

The Way Ahead

Taken on: 2012-11-04
Source: Al Jazeera English

The IED Threat

Taken on: 2012-11-04
Source: Al Jazeera English

Airlifting the Wounded

Taken on: 2012-11-03
Source: Al Jazeera Enlighs

Into the Fray

Taken on: 2012-11-03
Source: Al Jazeera English

The Hunt for Insurgents

Taken on: 2012-11-03
Source: Al Jazeera English

Taliban On the Doorstep

Taken on: 2012-11-03
Source: Al Jazeera English

Boots on the Ground

Taken on: 2012-11-01
Source: Al Jazeera English

Afghan Security at an Opium Destruction Event, 2012

Taken on: 2012-10-14
Source: US State Department

Former Taliban Fighters Give Peace a Chance

Taken on: 2012-05-28
Source: ISAF

Leveling the Ground

Taken on: 2012-02-10
Source: US Army

Opium Poppies in Helmand Province Afghanistan

Taken on: 2011-05-08
Source: US Marines

Afghan Recruits

Taken on: 2011-01-12
Source:

Afghan Mountain View, Kandahar to Jalalabad, 2010

Taken on: 2010-12-17
Source: U.S. Army

A Major and a Governor

Taken on: 2010-01-23
Source: US Army

View on Helmand

Taken on: 2009-10-18
Source: U.S. Embassy in Kabul

Herati Police Battalion

Taken on: 2009-05-21
Source: U.S Embassy Kabul Afghanistan

British Troops Patrolling in Sangin; Afghanistan, May 2007

Taken on: 2007-05-09
Source: Spc. Daniel Love/Wikipedia

Afghan National Army Scud Launcher

Taken on: 2004-04-27
Source: Davric/Wikipedia

The Bagram Aircraft Petting Zoo, Afghanistan, 2002

Taken on: 2002-01-01
Source: Jim Garamone/Wikipedia

U.S. Special Forces & Northern Alliance Fighters Near Kunduz, Afghanistan; Nov. 2001

Taken on: 2001-11-27
Source: United States Army

Spetsnaz Troopers Deployed in Afghanistan, 1988

Taken on: 1988-01-01
Source: Evstafiev/Wikipedia