Afghanistan Conflict

The 152nd British serviceman has been killed in Afghanistan. Why are they out there? What is the real reason that they have been sent there?

It appears to me that this conflict isn't going anywhere. At least, in other wars that we have been involved in there have been big battles where either we capture hundreds of enemy troops or they capture hundreds of ours.

In this conflict, there doesn't appear to be much progress being made.

Is there a real enemy to fight in Afghanistan?