Afghanistan: Key facts and figures

UK forces have been in Afghanistan for almost a decade. The death toll now exceeds that of the Iraq war and more than 100 soldiers died last year. Read key facts and figures about the war, and the British and other international forces fighting the Taliban and engaged in reconstruction work.

Highest monthly death toll comes in July 2009, with 22 dead, as a major offensive against the Taliban begins in the south.

Manpower

British and other ISAF troops face a determined enemy in the Taliban. The insurgents consist mainly of Afghans, though numbers of Arab and Uzbek fighters are also be involved. Groups of fighters are usually organised along local and tribal lines and led by a senior, experienced commander.

Here we compare a British soldier with his Taliban counterpart.

British soldier Main weapons: Standard issue SA-80 rifle, L1A1 12.7 mm Heavy Machine gun, 81mm Mortar Strengths: Highly-trained, well-supported professional soldier with modern equipment. Air support available Weaknesses: May struggle to adapt to fighting in the harsh Afghan environment. Lacks intimate knowledge of local landscape, may face hostility and distrust from civilians Taliban fighter Main weapons: Kalashnikov AK-47 assault rifle, Rocket-Propelled Grenades. Strengths: Tenacious, well-supplied guerrilla force highly adapted to local climate and geography. Can blend in with local population when required. Weaknesses: Vulnerable to air attack. Few heavy weapons. Factional nature can mean shifting loyalties. Poor weapons-handling skills.

Mobility

Mobility is a major factor in guerrilla warfare and Taliban fighters often operate as a 'pick-up truck cavalry' force in adapted four-wheel drive vehicles such as the Toyota Hi-Lux.

ISAF forces tend to rely on heavier armoured vehicles.

Mastiff II Defences: Heavy armour and V-shaped hull to protect against roadside bombs and mines. Strengths: State-of-the-art, heavily armed, armoured patrol vehicle designed to carry 8 soldiers and 2 crew. Weaknesses: Expensive, requires dedicated maintenance. Cost: Approximately £1.2 million per vehicle Toyota Hi Lux Defences: Some carry RPG launchers, heavy machine guns. Strengths: Hard-wearing, fast, reliable off-road transport for up to 10 Taliban fighters. Weaknesses: No armour, variable levels of mechanical support. Cost: Approximately $10,000 in local terms.

Casualties

The true number of civilians killed in the Afghan conflict will probably never be known. ISAF has only recently begun to count the numbers of civilians killed. The estimates below are based on estimates provided by a range of agencies together with local and international press reports.

Numbers of troops

Major combat units

Reconstruction teams

Albania	250	FYROM*	215	Norway	470
Australia	1,550	Georgia	175	Poland	2,515
Austria	3	Germany	4,365	Portugal	105
Azerbaijan	90	Greece	70	Romania	1010
Belgium	590	Hungary	360	Singapore	40
Bosnia and Herzegovina	10	Iceland	4	Slovakia	230
Bulgaria	525	Ireland	7	Slovenia	75
Canada	2,830	Italy	3,300	Spain	1,270
Croatia	290	Jordan	6	Sweden	485
Czech Rep	460	Latvia	115	Turkey	1,795
Denmark	750	Lithuania	145	Ukraine	10
Estonia	155	Luxembourg	8	UAE	10
Finland	100	Netherlands	1,885	UK	9,500
France	3,750	NZ	225	US+	32,415
Total (approx.): 73,554
* Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia
+ The US has around 36,000 additional troops in Afghanistan as part of Operation Enduring Freedom

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