Between 85,000 and 100,000 people in Afghanistan are believed to be fighting for the Taliban, according to Klas Bjurström, senior strategic adviser at the Swedish Afghanistan Committee.
But not all are Afghans - many are jihadists from other countries who have joined the fight against Western society.
Political control less
The majority of the Taliban are combat soldiers, while the number of people in the leadership is significantly fewer.
- Most often it is an older man who has a background of Koran studies and probably a war veteran, says Klas Bjurström.
The support for the Afghan government is great
Today, just under ten percent of the Afghan population supports the jihadist movement, estimates Klas Bjurström.
- The Taliban's propaganda combined with the fact that they are actually offering their soldiers a salary and a job, that may be enough to recruit young men in a country that is so terribly poor.
- One should not forget that in Afghanistan, over 70 percent of the population lives on less than nine kronor per day.