After western withdrawal, what now for Afghanistan?

The scenes - a fierce gun battle with surrounded Taliban fighters - will be familiar to many British troops who have served in Afghanistan.

However, there are no western troops in the country now, and the fighting against the radical group and its forces is being planned, co-ordinated and led by the Afghan national army.

And as one former British serviceman has been discovering, war is still an ever-present part of life in Afghanistan, with lives still being lost in our absence.

Mike McEvoy, now a filmmaker, has been filming with the country's newly-formed military as they adjust to their new role - and has captured in graphic form the gruesome task on their hands.

McEvoy served in Afghanistan training colleagues from the Afghan army, but has discovered a lot since embedding with his camera in tow.

As he wrote in his blog for ITV News today, he believes the nation's armed forces have been doing good work in spite of everything against them, and has been impressed by their morale and the support they have received from the public.

Nato put in place a major training and equipment programme to support the country's military despite withdrawing its troops last year.

That is set to continue until the end of 2017 under current plans, and there are many in Afghanistan who want to join its ranks to take on the Taliban.

The success of recent elections in the country - despite threats from the Taliban - appears to support the argument that Afghanistan is coping well.

However, there are still significant challenges, as the army themselves explain.

Major Samim, whose unit is responsible for securing the capital Kabul, says one of the biggest problems is a lack of modern airpower.

McEvoy says a lack of air cover is critical in other key areas, such as transporting transporting troops between battlefields and moving casualties away from danger.

And while the Afghan army is holding out, it is coming at a high price.

More than 6,000 of the country's soldiers were killed between 2003 and 2014, according to figures released last October - when British troops formally withdrew. The number is believed to have escalated rapidly since.

As McEvoy argues, rebuilding Afghanistan will need more than just military might - it will require aid, development and a lot more time.

Read: Now the West has gone: Afghan troops left battling the Taliban