Afghanistan has experienced a protracted conflict for almost thirty-five years that hindered its development. Furthermore, over the past five years the country has seen the rise of the armed non-state actors who keep challenging the territorial control of the Government. Since the withdrawal of the NATO-led International Security Assistance Forces (ISAF) in 2014, the Afghan authorities have been facing reinforced Taliban terrorist movement that intensified attacks on the northern provinces of the country near the border with the Central Asian republics.

