US Marines prepare to depart upon the end of operations for Marines and British combat troops in Helmand in Afghanistan on October 27. On watch for a possible Taliban attack, Afghan forces on Tuesday patrolled the perimeter and manned guard towers of a vast military base deserted by US and British forces in a volatile southern province. A day after foreign troops left the crucial base in Helmand, the Afghan army and police prepared to fight on their own without the safety net of air support and aerial surveillance formerly provided by their Western allies. Reuters/Omar Sobhani