Afghanistan

An Afghan commando stands on the tarmac, wearing night vision gear. The elite commandos are about to fly into an area controlled by Taliban fighters. Their mission: to sweep a village for Taliban fighters.

World News

Under U.S. Air Cover, Afghan Commandos Chase The Elusive Taliban

1:31pm June 02, 2016

by Tom Bowman

Afghan commandos, supported by U.S. special operations forces, launched a raid into a village contested by the Taliban. The raid permitted an aid convoy to make progress after nearly a month.

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Memorial Day In Kandahar: A Run To Honor America's Fallen

6:09am May 30, 2016

by Tom Bowman

Over the past 15 years, 1,832 American servicemen and -women have been killed in action in Afghanistan. How do the U.S. forces posted there mark Memorial Day, and how is the conflict going overall?

World News

Leader's Death Revives Question: What Is Pakistan's Relationship With The Taliban?

5:59am May 26, 2016

Renee Montagne talks to Mujib Mashal, a reporter with The New York Times, about Pakistan's role in the U.S. drone strike that killed the head of the Taliban over the weekend.

'Mirror Test' Reflects On The Consequences Of The Wars In Iraq And Afghanistan

1:31pm May 25, 2016

While serving as a State Department adviser in Iraq and Afghanistan, J. Kael Weston instigated a military mission that resulted the death of 31 service members. His memoir revisits the tragedy of war.

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World News

Taliban Name New Leader, Confirm Death Of Mullah Mansour

9:58am May 25, 2016

by Camila Domonoske

The Afghan Taliban confirmed that a U.S. drone strike killed their leader last week, and they announced his successor: Mullah Haibatullah Akhundzada, an extremist scholar without military experience.

U.S. Air Force Lt. Col. Chance Henderson, an orthopedic surgeon, stands in the operating theater of the military hospital at Bagram Airfield in Afghanistan. Henderson is fighting to save the leg of a 6-year-old Afghan girl who was shot during a firefight

World News

Saving 6-Year-Old Ameera, Shot In An Afghan Firefight

5:44pm May 24, 2016

by Tom Bowman

With fewer U.S. troops, there's less need to treat combat trauma at the Bagram Airfield hospital. But civilian casualties continue. A surgeon at Bagram has been trying to save an injured girl's leg.

World News

With Mansour Dead, Taliban Must Select A New Leader

8:07am May 23, 2016

by Tom Bowman

U.S. drones killed Taliban leader Mullah Mohammed Akhtar Mansour in a remote area of Pakistan over the weekend. The death that was confirmed by President Obama and Afghan intelligence.

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Volunteers stand Saturday near the wreckage of the destroyed vehicle, in which Mullah Akhtar Mansour was allegedly traveling in the Ahmed Wal area in Baluchistan province of Pakistan, near Afghanistan border.

World News

Afghan Government Says U.S. Drone Strike Killed Taliban Leader

4:15pm May 22, 2016

by Merrit Kennedy

The Pentagon says it is assessing the results of its attack on Mullah Akhtar Mansour. The man was a divisive figure within the Taliban, and the Afghan government saw him as an obstacle to peace.

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How Effective Is The Peace Program That Pays Taliban To Leave The Fight?

8:13am May 22, 2016

A program in Afghanistan that was meant to promote peace is under review. NPR's Rachel Martin talks to Douglas Keh of the UN Development Program about the success the program.

Afghan Government Says Taliban Leader Mullah Akhtar Mansour Killed By U.S. Airstrike

8:13am May 22, 2016

The Afghan government says that a U.S. drone strike in Pakistan has killed the leader of the Afghan Taliban, Mullah Akhtar Mansour.