NATO has assumed command of US-led troops throughout Afghanistan today, completing its expansion into the east of the country.
The American-led coalition, which ousted the Taliban regime in late 2001, officially handed over control to NATO's International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) at a ceremony in the capital, Kabul.
The development sees NATO having 33,000 military personnel under its command, as it continues to seek reinforcements from member countries to hold off an escalating Taliban-led insurgency in southern Afghanistan.
