NZ SAS troops took part in an operation in Kabul that saw a terror cell busted and a quarter tonne of explosives seized, John Key told media during his secret visit to Afghanistan.

Wearing body armour and a helmet, Prime Minister John Key has spent the past three days in war-torn Afghanistan on a top-secret visit to NZ troops.

Humanitarian help has become a huge industry, buffering corrupt regimes and perpetuating war, claims the author of a new book.

Increases in terror attacks in Pakistan and Afghanistan triggered a spike in the number of civilians killed or wounded there last year.

New Zealand soldiers serving in Afghanistan came under enemy fire for the second time in five months after they were attacked by insurgents yesterday.

A game in which horseriders struggle for possession of a headless goat should be unleashed globally, an Afghan fan says.

A group of New Zealand Defence Force personnel stationed in Kabul met the Prince of Wales during his trip to Afghanistan last month.

An emotional hospital-bed email has revealed how the heroics of a Kiwi soldier who saved the lives of two comrades under heavy Taleban gunfire were inspired by his fallen commander.

NZ's elite SAS troops have been involved in another firefight in Afghanistan, and once again press photographers have captured them in action.

John Key has revealed that 15 New Zealand SAS troops in Afghanistan were involved in a gun fight with "insurgents" on Friday.

A first-person account of the harrowing experience of combat in Afghanistan's Helmand province.