An Afghan girl carries water in a plastic container as she ascends a slope on the way towards her house in Kabul, Afghanistan, Monday, Dec. 27, 2010. AP Photo / Altaf Qadri

2010 has been the deadliest year yet for coalition troops in Afghanistan, with 709 troops killed, 497 of those from the U.S. American officials have spoken of a fragile progress, with a possible small drawdown of troops starting next summer, keeping 2014 as the goal date for Afghans to take control. The United Nations released a report saying that more than 2,400 Afghan civilians were killed and more than 3,800 injured in the first 10 months of 2010, with 76% of these casualties being caused by “anti-government elements”. The report also shows deaths and injuries caused by “pro-government forces” (U.S. and NATO troops, Afghan army and police) accounted for 12% of civilian casualties, an 18% drop from the same time period last year. Collected here are images of the country and conflict over the past month, part of an ongoing monthly series on Afghanistan.

Afghanistan, December, 2010

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