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Afghanistan

Operation Enduring Freedom: A look back in photos

With the curtain coming down on combat operations, Stars and Stripes is looking back at the U.S. troops who have fought in the war, what they encountered, and how they coped. We present three photo galleries featuring the work of our photographers and reporters who have covered the war in Afghanistan.

 

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US forces pack up
A Marine Corps flag flew over Helmand again during a transfer-of-authority ceremony at Camp Shorab, Afghanistan, Saturday April 29, 2017. <br>E.B. Boyd/Stars and Stripes

Marines are back in Afghanistan's most violent province; their mission could expand

A Marine Corps task force newly deployed to Afghanistan's most violent province could need additional troops or other resources, depending on what policy decisions that Washington and Kabul make for Afghanistan, said the top officer in the task force.

 

Reports from SIGAR
Soldiers with the Afghan army's 215th Corps 2/3 Kandak participate in a specialized combat course in January 2017.<br>Courtesy of NATO

Afghans reshuffle military leadership to thwart Taliban gains

Leadership changes made throughout the winter should give Afghan security forces a boost on the battlefield this year, according to Afghan and U.S. military officials, who say better leaders are essential to stemming recent gains by the Taliban.

Congress created the Office of the Special Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction (SIGAR) to provide independent and objective oversight of Afghanistan reconstruction projects and activities.

 

Election coverage
Supporters of Afghan presidential candidate Abdullah Abdullah scramble to grab campaign posters and signs before a rally in Panjshir province. The candidate found a frenzied welcome in the fabled Panjshir Valley, where he has a strong base of support.<br> Josh Smith/Stars and Stripes

VIDEO

Politics in Panjshir: Life on the Afghan campaign trail

As Afghanistan's presidential election entered its final week, fears of violence and corruption concerns didn't stop Afghans from reveling in what would be the country's first peaceful, democratic transfer of power.

 

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More recent reports

Al-Qaida tries comeback with bin Laden son as mouthpiece

The voice is that of a soft-spoken 28-year-old, but the message is vintage Osama bin Laden, giving orders to kill. When the audio recording began turning up on jihadist websites two weeks ago, it was as if the dead terrorist was channeling himself through his favorite son.

Buildings ravaged by fighting in Sirte, Libya, as seen on Oct. 22, 2011. The Libya connection in the Manchester concert bombing and Friday's attack on Christians in Egypt has shone a light on the threat posed by militant Islamic groups that have taken advantage of lawlessness in the troubled North African nation.<br>Manu Brabo/AP

After UK, Egypt attacks, Libya seen as militants' haven

The Libya connection in the May 22 Manchester concert suicide bombing and Friday's attack on Christians in Egypt has shone a light on the threat posed by militant Islamic groups that have taken advantage of lawlessness in the troubled North African nation to put down roots, recruit fighters and export jihadists to cause death and carnage elsewhere.

A boy walks passed damaged vehicles at the site of a suicide attack in eastern Khost province, Afghanistan, Saturday, May 27, 2017.<br>Nishanuddin Khan/AP

Afghan official says 18 killed in suicide car bomb attack

At least 18 people, mostly civilians, were killed Saturday when a suicide car bomber targeted a convoy of provincial security forces in eastern Afghanistan, an Interior Ministry official said.

Pakistani investigators examine the scene of a bomb attack that targeted a team of army soldiers accompanying the population census team in Lahore, Pakistan, on April 5, 2017.<br>Rana Sajid Hussain/Pacific Press/Sipa USA/TNS

Border clashes seen forcing Pakistan to boost defense spending

Pakistan’s powerful military will probably push for an increase in defense spending ahead of Friday’s national budget as border clashes with neighboring India and Afghanistan mount.

Pakistan's $50 billion budget includes 7-percent hike in military spending

Pakistan's Finance Minister Ishaq Dar Friday presented a $50 billion development heavy budget that also promised a seven percent increase in military spending, a growth rate of near 6 per cent and an appeasement for farmers who protested ahead of the budget announcement, clashing with police who used tear gas to disperse them.

At least 15 Afghan soldiers killed southern Kandahar

An Afghan official says Taliban fighters attacked an army camp in southern Kandahar province, killing at least 15 soldiers.

At least 13 soldiers killed in south Afghanistan, officials says

At least 13 soldiers were killed and eight others wounded in fighting with Taliban insurgents at several security checkpoints in southern Afghanistan, a government official said Thursday.

Members of the Sisters in Arms group at Resolute Support headquarters, Kabul, May 19, 2017. From left: Command Chief Master Sgt. Lisa Arnold; Col. Antoinette Gant; Lisa Spell, realty officer; Linda Eluma-Plummer, RS CJ2; Sandra Cousin, Defense Logistics Agency; Australian Capt. Stephanie Sheldon; Lt. Col. Jodi Bonnes; and Col. Tammy Heath.<br>E.B. Boyd/Stars and Stripes

Kabul organization is among unofficial groups offering mentoring for military women

About once a month, a couple of dozen women working at NATO’s Resolute Support headquarters in Kabul get together to offer support and advice to one another, especially to younger servicemembers in the early stages of their careers.

A Qatari employee of Al Jazeera Arabic language TV news channel walks past the logo of Al Jazeera in Doha, Qatar, on Nov. 1, 2006.<br>Kamran Jebreili/AP

Bahrain, Egypt block Al-Jazeera websites amid Qatar dispute

Bahrain and Egypt on Thursday apparently joined Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates in blocking access to websites run by the pan-Arab satellite network Al-Jazeera, part of a growing regional dispute with Qatar after an alleged hack of its state-run news agency.

General view of the meeting of the NATO defense ministers at the alliance's headquarters in Brussels on Thursday, Feb. 16, 2017.<br>Photo courtesy of NATO

NATO poised to join counter-ISIS coalition

NATO’s top diplomats endorsed a plan Wednesday to join the U.S.-led coalition against the Islamic State, signaling the transatlantic military alliance is poised to wade into the battle in Iraq and Syria.

Afghan officials: Taliban attacks kill 8 soldiers, policeman

Afghan officials say Taliban attacks in the southern province of Kandahar and the western province of Badghis have killed at least eight soldiers and a policeman.

Iranian President Hassan Rouhani speaks in a press conference in Tehran, Iran, Monday, May 22, 2017. <br>Vahid Salemi/AP

Iranian president calls US relations 'a curvy road'

Iran's newly re-elected President Hassan Rouhani on Monday called relations with the United States "a curvy road," saying he hoped the Trump administration will "settle down" enough for his nation to better understand it.

Members of the Afghan National Police patrol the streets of Kabul. The presence of mobile security officers is meant to secure the city, but it also means officers are more vulnerable to attack. Dozens of officers have been killed in bombing attacks in recent months. <br>Peter Holley/ The Washington Post

A surprise attack by the Taliban kills 25 Afghan police and spotlights security failures

Taliban militants launched surprise attacks against multiple police checkpoints in southern Afghanistan and killed at least 25 officers, officials said Sunday.

Fighters loyal to Gulbuddin Hekmatyar wait as he meets with Afghan President Ashraf Ghani. <br>Andrew Quilty/The Washington Post

ANALYSIS

Return of warlord Hekmatyar adds to Afghan political tensions

When fugitive warlord Gulbuddin Hekmatyar returned home to a lavish official welcome last month, abandoning his 16-year insurgency and forgiven for a history of wartime abuses, he was expected to quickly take up the cause of peace and set a conciliatory example for Taliban insurgents.

German woman, Afghan guard killed in Kabul guest house attack

An unidentified German woman and an Afghan guard were killed at a guest house in the Afghan capital when insurgents stormed the premises late Saturday night, police said. An unidentified Finnish woman was also reported missing and possibly kidnapped after the attack.


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