NATO said it has made progress by routing the Taliban from their strongholds in the south. But the Taliban have hit back with several high-profile attacks in the capital and assassinations of government officials and senior Afghan leaders.
The U.S.-led coalition reported that insurgent attacks in the first eight months of the year were down 2 percent and that the Taliban are relying more on roadside bombs to fight the war instead of shooting at better-armed international troops.
"Actual enemy-initiated attacks are down and that is what we are observing as an indicator that actually violence trends are going down in our favor," said Brig. Gen. Carsten Jacobson, a spokesman for the coalition.
The coalition said direct fire from insurgents dropped 30 percent in recent months. However, NATO said that roadside bomb explosions rose 5 percent during the time period.