Afghanistan: special report

Author Andrew O’Hagan’s new novel The Illuminations examines the experiences of the soldiers who went to Afghanistan believing in the war, but who returned home to Britain profoundly disillusioned.

The coalition-led mission in Afghanistan ended in 2014, but the Bagram air base will remain for 12,000 US “advisers”. Award-winning photographer Seamus Murphy filmed life inside and outside the wire.

Photographs emerge on the Live Leak website apparently showing at least one British soldier posing next to a dead Taliban fighter. Some viewers may find images in this video distressing.

The Afghan Taliban claim to have shot down a UK military helicopter which crashed on Saturday, killing five Isaf servicemen – all of whom are thought to be British.

Former US Army interpreter Hekmatullah Wahidi learns this week if he can appeal his deportation from the UK. But if he returns to his native Afghanistan, he is “certain” the Taliban will kill him.

The latest shooting incident at Fort Hood in Texas mirrors an attack in 2009 which was the deadliest inside a US military base in history. So are returning soldiers being given effective treatment?

Two young men from Cardiff who both served with the British Army in Afghanistan tell their very different stories of return and recuperation.

As Britain hands over operational command of Helmand province to the US, Channel 4 News looks at how Afghanistan has changed since the war began in 2001 – from opium production to education.

The Twitter account of Sardar Ahmad, killed in the attack on the Serena hotel in Kabul, is being used to keep memories of the Afghan journalist alive and to update people on the health of his son.

After 12 years of British involvement in Afghanistan, David Cameron announces he is preparing to pull troops out of the country next year, despite fears of an insurgency.

Six British army soldiers who died in an improvised explosive device (IED) attack in March 2012 in Afghanistan were “unlawfully killed whilst on active service”, a coroner rules.

Since the beginning of operations in October 2001, 445 British forces personnel have died serving in Afghanistan.

Afghanistan’s Taliban detonate two suicide car bombs in an attack on the US consulate in Herat and engage security forces in a gun battle.