Fewer American soldiers are fighting now in Afghanistan, but that doesn’t mean the war is completely winding down.

The United States this year has launched more drone strikes than at any other time in the 11-year conflict. At 333 attacks and counting, the U.S. is averaging 33 per month, or slightly more than one a day. The previous high mark came last year, when the monthly average was 24.5. Drone attacks account for 9% of all U.S. aerial attacks in Afghanistan.

Despite the decreasing coverage of the war in Afghanistan, there are still about 68,000 U.S. troops in the country and 280 Americans died there during the first ten months of 2012.

-Noel Brinkerhoff, David Wallechinsky

To Learn More:

Military Stats Reveal Epicenter of U.S. Drone War (by Noah Shachtman, Wired)

Afghanistan Index (by Ian S. Livingston and Michael O’Hanlon, Brookings) (pdf)

Drone Killing of Civilians Sparks Outrage in Yemen…Apathy in U.S. (by Noel Brinkerhoff and David Wallechinsky, AllGov)

Drone Victim Families in Pakistan File Petitions against CIA Killing of Civilians (by Noel Brinkerhoff, AllGov)