• Saving Private Ryan: US soldier wounded by IED blast in Afghanistan

    GRAPHIC WARNING: This post contains graphic images which some viewers may find disturbing. 

    Munir Uz Zaman / AFP - Getty Images

    US Army soldiers attached to 2nd platoon, C troop, 1st Squadron (Airborne), 91st U.S Cavalry Regiment, 173rd Airborne Brigade Combat Team protect a wounded comrade, Private Ryan Thomas, from dust and smoke flares after an Improvised Explosive Device (IED) blast during a patrol near Baraki Barak base in Logar Province, Afghanistan on October 13, 2012.

    Munir Uz Zaman / AFP - Getty Images

    Private Ryan Thomas receives medical assistance after he was injured.

    Munir Uz Zaman / AFP - Getty Images

    US Army soldiers carry Private Ryan Thomas to a waiting helicopter.

    Photographer Munir uz Zaman captured these photos on Saturday, October 13 after a U.S. soldier was injured by the blast from an Improvised Explosive Device during a patrol in eastern Afghanistan. The photos were made available to NBC News today.

    21-year-old Private Ryan Thomas, an Oklahoman with the 173rd Airborne, suffered soft tissue damage and was scheduled to be evacuated to Germany after surgery in Afghanistan. Watch a video of the operation to extract him after he was injured. 

    Slideshow — Afghanistan: Nation at a crossroads

    After 11 years of war, 2,135 U.S. soldiers dead, their Afghan colleagues turning on them, and widespread predictions the conflict will end in failure, coalition forces could be forgiven for suffering a dip in morale, Agence France Presse reports. But commanders and soldiers on the ground insist the challenges are bringing them closer together, even if the outcome of the war is uncertain and the perception of what constitutes success has changed. 

    Top Talkers: With the war in Afghanistan continuing and the U.S. Military abandoning hope of a peace deal in the region with the Taliban, what is expected for the region next? The Morning Joe panel – including fmr. Gov. Howard Dean, D-Vt., Morning Joe economic analyst Steve Rattner and Mike Barnicle – discusses and NBC News' Richard Engel reports from the region.

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  • Injured Syrian limps across Turkish border

    Burhan Ozbilici / AP

    An injured Syrian limps to a Turkish ambulance on the border near the village of Guvecci in Hatay province, Turkey, on June 9. About 1,000 Syrians fleeing violence crossed into Turkey overnight, raising the total number of refugees in the country to 1,600, a Turkish official said Thursday. Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan has said his country will continue to accept all Syrians who flee, but he also has urged Syria's government to adopt reforms aimed at ending the unrest.

    See more images from Syria on PhotoBlog.

  • Protesters injured in clashes with riot police in Egypt

    Ben Curtis / AP

    Egyptians carry an injured protester during clashes with anti-riot police in Cairo, Saturday, Jan. 29, 2011. Hundreds of anti-government protesters have returned to Cairo's central Tahrir Square, chanting slogans against Hosni Mubarak just hours after the Egyptian president fired his Cabinet but refused to step down.

    Mohammed Abed / AFP - Getty Images

    Egyptians hellp an injured demonstrator during clashes with riot police in Cairo on January 29, 2011.

    Edoardo Castaldo / AFP - Getty Images

    Egyptian demonstrators carry a wounded comrade shot by police during clashes near the central Tahrir square in Cairo on January 29, 2011. At least three people were killed during anti-regime protests in downtown Cairo. Medics at a mobile hospital told AFP as they tended to dozens of wounded.

    By Phaedra Singelis, NBC News

    Despite the images of demonstrators kissing Army soldiers, looks like the clashes with the police continue and some are violent. Three protesters are said to have died in clashes at the Interior Ministry according to Al Jazeera, and dozens more were killed on Friday.

     More photos from Egypt.   Full coverage.

     

  • Scott Olson / Getty Images

    MARJA, AFGHANISTAN - SEPTEMBER 24: U.S. Army flight medic SGT Tyrone Jordan of Charlotte, NC attached to Dustoff Task Force Shadow of the 101st Combat Aviation Brigade carries Marine LCpl. David Hawkins of Parker, CO to a MEDEVAC helicopter after he was wounded by a blast from an improvised explosive device (IED) September 24, 2010 near Marja, Afghanistan. Task Force Shadow is responsible for evacuating wounded Afghani and Coalition forces as well as local nationals throughout southern Afghanistan.

    Task Force Shadow

    This image jumped out at me as soon as it came through the feed this morning. Amazing image, I'd love to see the video from the camera that the medic is wearing. For more images from Afghanistan click here.

    As of Thursday, Sept. 23, 2010, at least 1,200 members of the U.S. military had died in Afghanistan as a result of the U.S. invasion in late 2001, according to an Associated Press count.