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The war in Afghanistan

British soldiers in Afghanistan

As of December 2012, there are around 9,500 British troops in Afghanistan but that number is gradually lessening.

Prime Minister David Cameron promised in July 2012 that he would bring the majority of British servicemen and women home by the end of 2014. However some soldiers might stay on after that to help train Afghan forces.

Most of the troops are based in the south of the country.

The British forces are part of the Nato-led International Security Assistance Force (Nato-ISAF) mission, trying to make the country more stable.

As of December 2012, Nato-ISAF had just over 100,000 personnel based in Afghanistan, from 50 different countries including America, Germany and France.

All Nato operations are set to finish by the end of 2014, with responsibility being transferred to Afghan forces.

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