1 March 2011 Last updated at 15:59

In pictures: The long war

Canadian photographer Louie Palu has been photographing the conflict in Afghanistan for the past five years as part of an ongong project to document the country's development. On a recent trip he used a super-wide panoramic camera and here we present a few of his pictures.

Louie Palu: "Flying over the Panjwaii district, south of Kandahar city, you can see the harsh landscape that makes living and fighting in this region so difficult.

"Most residents of Kandahar have no running water and rely on canals and wells for their water needs.

"In 2009 the Dand district teetered on the verge of collapse as insurgents operated freely. Now, although it is not completely secure, a long term counterinsurgency (COIN) operation implemented by Canadians turned the area around.

"Young boys study at a madrassa where they will learn the Koran; many go on to become imams - spiritual leaders in mosques and communities.

"Kandahar city is the second largest in the country and one of the main economic engines of Afghanistan.

"Canadian soldiers question young fighting-age males and search for improvised explosive devices in the village of Chalghowr.

"US soldiers prepare to search a karez, an underwater irrigation canal, in Maywand district, Kandahar province.

"Looking north east over Kandahar city from the Chehl Zeena. The site is a small room carved out of the top of a mountain by Babur, founder of the Mughal Empire of India, who captured Kandahar in the 16th Century."

Louie Palu is now faced with a year or two of editing. He said: "My archive of images, video, writing and diaries is extensive and I want to get it all out there for people to see and learn from." You can read more about Louie's work by following the link below this gallery to the Viewfinder blog.

World

In pictures: The long war

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