A devotee takes a holy bath in River Saali in Sankhu during the Swasthani Brata Katha festival in Kathmandu, Nepal, January 24, 2016. During the month long festival, devotees recite one chapter of a Hindu tale daily from the 31-chapter sacred Swasthani Brata Katha book that is dedicated to God Madhavnarayan and Goddess Swasthani, alongside various other gods and goddess and the miraculous feats performed by them. The devotees also go on pilgrimages to various temples, perform religious rituals, take a holy bath in the rivers and fast for a month, especially among women who believe fasting helps in their family's well-being or in getting them a good husband. (Photo by Navesh Chitrakar/Reuters)

Smokes rises from a fire as a Palestinian protester takes cover during clashes with Israeli troops near the Jewish settlement of Beit El, near the West Bank city of Ramallah October 9, 2015. (Photo by Mohamad Torokman/Reuters)

Under Exposed: Pekka Tuuri (Finland) – Great white shark, Isla Guadalupe, Mexico. “Isla Guadalupe is the world capital when it comes to observing great white sharks, but cage diving seriously limits the possibilities to take ‘fresh’ pictures. When I took this, the water close to the surface was quite milky, making photography very challenging. From out of the “mist”, I saw this great white shark lurking behind a school of fusiliers. I quickly focused on the shark and set a wide aperture to get focus blur on the fish, along with a fast shutter to avoid excessive motion blur”. (Photo by Pekka Tuuri/The Outdoor Photographer of the Year/The Guardian)

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.

Olga Carmona of Spain celebrates after scoring a goal during the FIFA Women's World Cup 2023 Final soccer match between Spain and England at Stadium Australia in Sydney, Australia, 20 August 2023. (Photo by Dean Lewins/EPA/EFE)

People celebrate Nowruz, considered as the harbinger of spring, awakening of nature and brotherhood, with traditional costumes and at Gobustan National Park in Baku, Azerbaijan on March 21, 2022. People from different regions of Azerbaijan attended celebration with colorful dresses and various music groups performed. (Photo by Resul Rehimov/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images)

French climber Alain Robert, also known as “Spiderman”, holds the flag of Nepal as he scales the Tour Montparnasse, a 210-metre (689 ft) building in central Paris, France April 28, 2015, to show support for the victims after the earthquake in Nepal. (Photo by Gonzalo Fuentes/Reuters)

A child rescued from Boko Haram in Sambisa forest is seen at the Internally Displaced People's camp in Yola, Nigeria May 3, 2015. Hundreds of traumatised Nigerian women and children rescued from Boko Haram Islamists have been released into the care of authorities at a refugee camp in the eastern town of Yola, an army spokesman said. (Photo by Afolabi Sotunde/Reuters)