A man wearing a costume of the StarWars protagonist Din Djarin poses in front of a giant replica of the Razor Crest, a gunship from the StarWars spinoff series “The Mandalorian” used by the hit TV show's mysterious bounty hunter to roam the galaxy's outer reaches, in a park of the eastern Siberian city of Yakutsk on March 14, 2021. (Photo by Evgeniy Sofroneyev/AFP Photo)

A poster of Russian President Vladimir Putin is used as target practice along a trench on the frontline with Russia-backed separatists near Zolote village, in the Lugansk region, on January 21, 2022. Ukraine's Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba on January 22, 2022, slammed Germany for its refusal to supply weapons to Kyiv, urging Berlin to stop “undermining unity“ and “encouraging Vladimir Putin” amid fears of a Russian invasion. (Photo by Anatolii Stepanov/AFP Photo)

A young girl from the Makonde ethnic group wearing earth makeup on her facen, a beauty symbol, carries a baby on her back as she poses for pictures in the community of Marupa, a relocation center for internally displaced families in the Chiure district, on February 23, 2021. Thousands of families from different districts of the Cabo Delgado province who have been displaced have been located by the government in different areas of the province. (Photo by Alfredo Zuniga/AFP Photo)

Throughout the course of the long war in Afghanistan, Coalition troops have relied on thousands of military working dogs to help keep them safe, and make their jobs easier. The dogs are trained to detect explosives, to find illegal drugs, to search for missing comrades, or target enemy combatants. Not only are they active on the front lines, but behind the lines they serve as therapy dogs, service dogs, and loyal companions. They also share the same risks as the ground troops, suffering injuries and sometimes death on the battlefields. Gathered here are images of these dogs and their handlers in Afghanistan and back home, from over the past several years, part of the ongoing series here on Afghanistan.

Rescuers attend an injured fan lying on the field of the Cuscatlan stadium in San Salvador, El Salvador, Saturday, May 20, 2023. At least nine people were killed and dozens more injured when stampeding fans pushed through one of the access gates at a quarterfinal Salvadoran league soccer match between Alianza and FAS. (Photo by Milton Flores/AP Photo)

Protesters throw fireworks at riot police during clashes in Nanterre, near Paris, France, 29 June 2023. Violence broke out after police fatally shot a 17-year-old during a traffic stop in Nanterre on 27 June 2023. According to the French interior minister, 31 people were arrested with 2,000 officers being deployed to prevent further violence. (Photo by Yoan Valat/EPA/EFE/Rex Features/Shutterstock)

A woman daubed in colours shakes her head to remove the coloured powder during Holi celebrations in Ahmedabad, India on March 18, 2022. (Photo by Amit Dave/Reuters)

Racegoers pose for a photo during the Coral Scottish Grand National Ladies Day at Ayr Racecourse, Ayr, United Kingdom on Friday, April 1, 2022. (Photo by Steve Welsh/PA Images via Getty Images)