QASED Non-government Research Organization
(Issue No: 29)
Note: You can download the PDF format of the report from here.
Preface
This report covers the casualties of the ongoing war, occurred in different parts of the country during November 22 – 28, 2019. Overall, 382 people have been killed or wounded this week (227 have been killed and 145 have been wounded).
According to the report’s figures, the total death toll due to the ongoing war in the country shows an increase compared to last week. Last week, 356 people were killed and wounded across the country; but this week, 382 were killed and wounded.
The death toll among the Afghan forces has risen again compared to last week. This week, the deadliest incidents occurred in Daikundi, Takhar and Kandahar provinces, in which 24 Afghan soldiers were killed and 28 others wounded.
The number of civilian casualties also increased compared to last week; however, many deaths were reported due to landmines and airstrikes. The deadliest incident took place in Kunduz province, where a mine blast killed 15 civilians and wounded two others. On the other hand, foreign forces airstrike killed ten civilians and wounded eight others in Pusht Road district of Farah province.
The death toll among anti-government armed militants is showing a slight decrease. Also, this week a UN vehicle was hit by a bomb, killing one American citizen and wounding two others in addition to three other Afghan staff members.
You will read in this report the details of casualties of the Afghan government forces, anti-government armed militants, Afghan civilians, and foreign forces, as well as analysis of the most important security incidents and the security situation in the country in the last part.
Afghan Forces’ Casualties
November 22:
Three policemen were injured along with civilians in a bomb blast in a market of Ala Sai district of Kapisa province.
An ANA soldier was injured in an armed clash between Afghan forces and Taliban in Karamkol and Andkhoy districts of Faryab province.
November 23:
A policeman was injured when a mine exploded on a police car in Qala-i-Wazir area of the ninth Police District of Kabul city.
A police officer was shot dead by unknown gunmen in Sharan city, the capital of Paktika province.
An ANA soldier has been killed and four others injured in an attack on Dasht-e-Archi district of Kunduz province.
A police intelligence official was killed by unknown gunmen in the first Police District of Kandahar City.
Taliban militants attacked a local police outpost in Taiwarah district of Ghor province, killing one local policeman and wounding two others.
November 24:
Taliban fighters attacked Afghan forces outposts in Kejran district of Daikundi province, killing eight ANA soldiers and injuring four others.
Taliban militants attacked a police outpost in Ghor province’s Pasaband district, killing one of the security forces.
November 25:
Taliban militants attacked a security checkpoint in Shahwalikot district of Kandahar province, killing two policemen and one ANA soldier and wounding eight others.
A police officer has been killed by a woman in Charikar city of Parwan province.
November 26:
The police chief of Rashidan district and three other policemen were killed in a roadside bomb blast in Jaghoto district of Ghazni province.
November 27:
Seven ANA soldiers were killed and 11 others were injured in an armed clash between Afghan forces and Taliban in Qara Tepa area of Darqad district of Takhar province.
November 28:
Taliban attacked police checkpoints in Arghistan district of Kandahar province, killing seven policemen and wounding five others.
A policeman was killed and five others were injured in a roadside bomb blast in Khashrod district of Nimroz province.
Table-1: Afghan Forces’ Casualties
|
Name |
Killed | Injured | Total Killed and Injured |
| ANA | 17 | 20 |
37 |
|
Police |
19 | 24 | 43 |
| Total | 36 | 44 |
80 |
Anti-government Armed Militants’ Casualties
November 22:
12 Taliban militants were killed and six others were injured in attacks by Afghan forces in Nad Ali and Sangin districts of Helmand province.
Six Taliban militants were killed and eight others injured in an airstrike by foreign forces in Qala-i-Kaah district of Farah province.
In the seventh Police District of Kandahar city, an attacker who wanted to explode a motorcycle full of explosives was killed by police. Also, two motorcycle riders who wanted to attack the police, one was killed by the police and the other escaped.
In an armed clash between Afghan forces and Taliban in Karamkol and Andkhoy districts of Faryab province, three Taliban fighters were killed and four others were injured.
November 23:
Four Taliban militants were killed and five others wounded in an attack by Afghan forces in the central area of Ghazni province.
In Jawzjan province, 24 Taliban fighters including a commander were killed and 15 others were injured in an operation by Afghan forces in Darzab district.
Four Taliban militants were killed and three others wounded in an attack by Afghan forces in Marjah district of Helmand province.
November 24:
Taliban attacked Afghan forces outposts in the Kejran district of Kunduz province, as a result of an hour-long clash, 20 militants were killed.
Six Taliban fighters were killed in an airstrike in Deh- yak district of Ghazni province.
Ten Taliban militants were killed and seven others were injured in attacks by Afghan forces in Taloka district of Kunduz province.
Three Taliban militants were killed and another was wounded in an airstrike by Afghan forces in Shindand district of Herat province.
November 25:
In the Khwaja Gawhar area of Almar district of Faryab province, a Taliban shadow district chief and three other Taliban militants were killed and seven others were injured in an attack by Afghan forces.
Four Taliban militants were killed and three others were injured in an armed clash between Afghan forces and Taliban in Dawlatabad district of Balkh province. In another clash, two Taliban militants were killed and another was injured in Ozulik area of Chaharbulak district of the province.
November 26:
Five Taliban militants were killed in an attack by Afghan forces in Marjah district of Helmand province.
25 Taliban fighters have been killed in airstrikes and ground attacks by Afghan forces in Alishang and Alingar districts of Laghman province.
November 27:
Nine Taliban militants were killed and six others wounded in an airstrike by foreign troops in Maiwand district of Kandahar province.
11 armed Taliban including two commanders were killed in an attack by Afghan forces in Qara-Tepa area of Darqad district of Takhar province.
Ten armed Taliban were killed in an attack by Afghan forces in Barakzai and Hashim Aqa areas of Greshk district of Helmand province.
Table 2: Casualties of the Anti-government Armed Militants
|
Name |
Killed | Injured | Total Killed and Injured |
| Taliban | 164 | 66 |
230 |
|
Total |
164 | 66 |
230 |
Civilian Casualties
November 22:
A bomb exploded in a market in Alasai district of Kapisa province, killing three civilians and injuring five others along with policemen.
A woman was killed by Taliban militants in Kohistan district of Faryab province.
November 23:
Three civilians were killed and two others were injured in a rocket attack on a civilian house by Afghan forces in Dand Ghori district of Baghlan province.
November 24:
Foreign troops have attacked a mosque in the Pusht Rud district of Farah province, killing ten civilians, including children, and injuring eight others.
A UN vehicle was hit by a mine in Macroyan area of Kabul city, in which three Afghan staff members were injured along with foreigners.
Two civilians were killed in an attack by Afghan forces in Taloka district of Kunduz province.
November 27:
15 civilians, including six women, a man and eight children, were killed and two others were injured in a roadside bomb blast in Imam Sahib district of Kunduz province.
November 28:
Two civilians were killed by Taliban in Qalat city of Zabul province.
13 civilians, including six children, were injured in a car-bomb blast in Khanqah-Malekah area of Sar-e-Pul province.
Table 3: Civilian Casualties
|
Name |
Killed | Injured | Total Killed and Injured |
| Civilians | 36 | 33 |
69 |
|
Total |
36 | 33 |
69 |
Foreigners’ Casualties
November 24:
A UN vehicle was hit by a mine in Macroyan area of Kabul city, killing one American citizen and injuring two others.
Conclusion and Analysis of the Week
The report shows that all over the country, 382 people have been killed and injured (237 of them were killed and 145 wounded) from 22 – 28 November 2019.
The total number of casualties in this week has increased compared to last week. On the Afghan government’s side, 31 Afghan security forces were killed last week; but this week, the number has increased to 36. The death toll for anti government’s armed militants is showing a slight decline compared to last week. Last week, 176 armed militants were killed, but this week, 164 Taliban militants were killed in different parts of the country. On the other hand, the death toll for civilians has increased over the past few weeks. Last week, the civilian death toll was 13, but again this week the number has risen to 36.
Civilian casualties this week were once again high and the most bloody incidents were due to mine explosions and airstrikes by Afghan and foreign forces. On 27th November, 15 people, including women and children, were killed in an explosion in Imam Sahib district of Kunduz province. The incident was widely condemned inside and outside the country. The Taliban were blamed for being responsible for the incident, therefore Qatar has also issued a statement condemning the attack, calling it a terrorist act. Qatar is trying to maintain its neutrality, playing a constructive role in the Afghan peace efforts.
On the other side, once again for the past few weeks, civilian casualties have increased due to airstrikes by Afghan and foreign forces. On November 24, three days before Kunduz incident, an airstrike struck civilians in Pusht Rud district of Farah province as they were on their way back to home after Isha prayers. Residents of the area brought the bodies of the victims to Farah’s provincial center in front of the governor’s office for justice. Protestors urged the government to arrest and punish those responsible for this traumatic incident. According to a protester: “You government officials are our brothers, yet at your orders we are bombarded, our children are killed and our worshipers in mosques are killed.”
Afghanistan Independent Human Rights Commission (AIHRC) issued a statement to express concern over the civilian casualties in Farah and Kunduz provinces, adding that such incidents have spread terror among the people. The Commission urged the warring parties to act by human rights rules in all circumstances and should not target civilians and spread fear and horror among the public. The Commission has also requested the judicial organs of Afghanistan to conduct a comprehensive investigation in regard to the airstrike in Farah province.
The bloody situation in the country and news of the civilian casualties came while the President of United States arrived in Afghanistan on his first visit to Afghanistan on November 29, unexpectedly and secretly, and met with President Ghani at Bagram Airfield. In addition to the meeting, he also addressed US troops. He said that he had resumed peace talks with the Taliban and that Taliban agreed to a ceasefire. He once again emphasized that the war in Afghanistan has no military solution and that a political solution should be found to it. He also talked about reducing his troops in Afghanistan. Trump’s visit and his remarks on peace have raised hopes for a peaceful resolution to the Afghan war.
Qased Strategic Research Center as a war casualties’ monitoring organization in the country emphasizes that the ongoing bloodshed and bloody situation in the country is possible to stop only through the complete withdrawal of foreign forces from Afghanistan and peace with the Taliban. Therefore, we call on international and Afghan stakeholders to focus on peace efforts, rather than focusing on the battlefield.
Table 4: Total casualties of war and security incidents
|
Name |
Killed | Name | Wounded |
| Afghan Forces | 36 | Afghan Forces |
44 |
|
Anti-government Militants |
164 | Anti-government Militants | 66 |
| Civilians | 36 | Civilians |
33 |
|
Foreigners |
1 | Foreigners | 2 |
|
Total |
237 | Total |
145 |
|
Total Casualties 382 |
|||
The end
