Afghan War Casualty Report: April 19-25

https://www.nytimes.com/2019/04/25/magazine/afghan-war-casualty-report.html

Version 0 of 1.

The following report compiles all significant security incidents confirmed by New York Times reporters throughout Afghanistan from the past seven days. It is necessarily incomplete as many local officials refuse to confirm casualty information. The report includes government claims of insurgent casualty figures, but in most cases these cannot be independently verified by The Times. Similarly, the reports do not include Taliban claims for their attacks on the government unless they can be verified. Both sides routinely inflate casualty totals for their opponents.

At least 16 pro-government forces and 15 civilians were killed in Afghanistan during the past week. There was a notable decrease in attacks compared to the near-constant violence breaking out across the country in recent months. In Kabul, at least 10 people were killed on Saturday in an attack on the Afghan communications ministry, for which the Taliban denied responsibility. A report issued by the United Nations on Wednesday said that for the first time since the organization began documenting civilian casualties a decade ago, more civilians are being killed by the Afghan government and American forces than by the Taliban and other insurgents. Civilian deaths attributed to pro-government forces rose in the first quarter of this year even as overall civilian casualties dropped to their lowest level in that period since 2013.

[Read the Afghan War Casualty Report from previous weeks.]

April 25 Takhar Province: two soldiers killed

An Afghan commando and a soldier were killed and five security forces were wounded when the Taliban ambushed a convoy of the Afghan forces in Dasht-e-Qala District.

April 25 Faryab Province: one pro-government militia killed

Pro-government militia members ambushed the Taliban in Khowaja Sabz Posh District. During the one hour of fighting one pro-government militia member was killed and another was wounded.

April 22 Paktika Province: one civilian killed

A woman was killed during a military operation conducted by American Special Forces in the Sarawza District. Local authorities claimed that six members of the Taliban were also killed in the operation.

April 22 Khost Province: two civilians killed

Two civilians were killed and six others were arrested during a military operation of American forces in Alisher District. The operation was not coordinated with local officials in the province.

April 20 Takhar Province: one civilian killed

The Taliban ambushed a convoy of Afghan forces in the Kokcha Bridge area of Khwaja Ghar District. During the clashes, a civilian was killed in the crossfire.

April 20 Kabul Province: seven civilians and three police killed

At least seven civilians and three police officers were killed in an attack on the Afghan communications ministry in central Kabul. Another eight civilians were wounded. The attack began shortly before midday when a suicide bomb detonated at the entrance to the multistory building that houses the ministry, followed by gunfire that could be heard over a mile away. The Taliban denied responsibility for the attack.

April 19 Faryab Province: five pro-government militia members killed

The Taliban attacked the village of Naw Bori in Qaisar District, where the fighting continued for two hours. Five pro-government militia members were killed and four others were wounded in the fighting.

April 19 Herat Province: five members of the National Directorate of Security killed

Five members of the National Directorate of Security were killed and four others were wounded in an explosion inside the provincial office of the directorate in Herat City, the provincial capital. The source of the explosion was not clear.

April 19 Wardak Province: four civilians killed

Three children and one woman, all members of the same family, were killed by Afghan forces during a night operation in Nerkh District.

Reporting was contributed by the following New York Times reporters: Najim Rahim from Mazar-e-Sharif, Mohammad Saber from Herat, Taimoor Shah from Kandahar, Farooq Jan Mangal from Khost and Zabihullah Ghazi from Jalalabad.