The United States invaded Afghanistan along with allied forces in 2001 shortly after the 9/11 terror attacks and has been there ever since, before the impending withdrawal this year of the last American troops.
AP photographers have documented the protracted conflict and occupation over the course of two decades, and now the unexpectedly chaotic departure as the Taliban swiftly reassert control over the country.ADVERTISEMENT
As is the case with any war, many of the images that emerged were of death and destruction, pain and suffering.
In Kandahar, bloody banknotes covered the bare torso of a dead insurgent after police found them in his pocket following an attack on the former intelligence headquarters and a shootout with security forces.
