But there was little observance by US troops in Afghanistan, where a month earlier many participated in commemorations to mark the 10th anniversary of the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks.

The US-led war in Afghanistan began October 7, 2011, with an air campaign that was followed within weeks by a ground invasion. President Barack Obama has called it “the longest-running war in the nation's history”.

The aim was to oust the Taliban and dismantle al Qaeda's leadership, though the leaders of both groups - Mullah Omar and Osama bin Laden - managed to escape capture.

Bin Laden was killed in May during a raid by US commandos on his hideout in Abbottabad, Pakistan. The whereabouts of Mullah Omar is unknown, and he has not been seen in public in years.

More than 2,700 troops from the United States and its partners have died during the 10 years of war.

Since the conflict began, the number of casualties has risen by the year, with a significant jump from 2008 to 2009. At least 296 coalition troops died in 2008.

It nearly doubled in 2009 when 517 coalition troops were killed.