Afghanistan has fought a two-decade insurgency by the Taliban since the militants were ousted by a US-led invasion in 2001. Despite supposed peace talks between the warring sides, violence has surged across the country, with thousands of soldiers and civilians killed. Above, U.S. soldiers gather near a destroyed vehicle and protect their faces from rotor wash, as their wounded comrades are airlifted by a Medevac helicopter from the 159th Brigade Task Force Thunder to Kandahar Hospital Role 3 in this file picture.
AFP