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The United States has stepped up its presence, ending the year with more than 48,000 troops in Afghanistan.
Violence and the number of civilian casualties also increased in 2008:
A suicide bombing killed more than 100 people outside Kandahar.
Another suicide bombing against the Indian Embassy in Kabul killed 58 people and wounded 141.
US air raids in Herat killed about 90 civilians, including 60 children, according to reports. Two separate incidents also sparked criticism after killing a combined total of about 150 civilians.
In 2008, Afghan security forces also attacked their coalition coaches for the first time. Called "green attacks", this new phenomenon affected coalition forces during the rest of the war.
