QASED Non-government Research Organization
(Issue No: 32)
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 December 13 – 19, 2019. Overall, 322 people have been killed or wounded this week (207 killed and 115 wounded).
According to the report’s figures, the total death toll due to the ongoing war in the country has dropped this week compared to last week. Last week, 443 people were killed and wounded across the country; but this week, the number dropped to 322.
The death toll for the Afghan forces is lower than it was last week; however, this week, heavy casualties occurred due to Taliban infiltrators attack. The incident took place in Qarabagh district of Ghazni province, where 25 Territorial Army soldiers were killed.
The total number of civilian casualties also decreased compared to last week, but civilians suffered heavy casualties due to bomb blasts planted by anti-government militants. In only two such incidents, 20 civilians were killed in Ghazni and Khost provinces.
The death toll among the anti-government’s armed militants has also dropped this week compared to last week. The low death toll of the government’s armed opposition in this week was mostly due to decrease of airstrikes.
You will read in this report the details of casualties of the Afghan government forces, anti-government armed militants, and Afghan civilians, as well as analysis of the most important security incidents and the security situation in the country in last part.
Afghan Forces’ Casualties
December 13:
A group of Taliban infiltrators have killed 25 Territorial Army soldiers and injured two others in a military base in Lewani Bazar area of Qarabagh district of Ghazni province.
Unknown gunmen shot and killed two policemen in 12th Police District of Herat city.
December 14:
Three border policemen were killed and another was injured in a roadside bomb blast in the Nahr-e-Siraj district of Helmand province.
December 15:
Afghan Security forces surrounded the house of Nizamuddin Qaisari, a militia commander long at odds with the government, in the city of Mazar-i-Sharif. As a result of airstrikes and clashes between the two sides, 12 of Qaisari’s militants were killed and four Afghan soldiers were wounded.
An ANA soldier and two commando soldiers were killed and nine others were injured in an armed clash between Taliban and Afghan forces on Kabul-Ghor highway in Samak area of Dawlat Yar district, Ghor province.
Taliban militants attacked a police outpost in Injil district of Herat province, killing three policemen and wounding another.
A bomb exploded in a coffee shop in the Baraman area of Herat city, in addition to civilians, three policemen were injured.
December 16:
In Jawand district of Badghis province, the chief of National Directorate of Security (NDS) for the district and a policeman were killed in an armed clash between Afghan forces and armed Taliban.
Two policemen were attacked by unknown gunmen on the way of Islam-Qala and Herat city, killing one and injuring another.
A guard of the district chief has been killed in an explosion at the building of Khwaja Ghar district of Takhar province.
The chief of National Directorate of Security (NDS) for Kohistan district of Kapisa province was shot and killed by an unknown gunman in Charikar city of Parwan province.
December 17:
A policeman was killed in a roadside bomb blast in Dawlat Yar district of Ghor province.
Taliban militants attacked a police outpost in Muqur district of Badghis province, killing one policeman and injuring another.
Two security forces were injured in an armed clash between Afghan forces and armed Taliban in Shahbaz area of Ghazni city.
A bomb attached to a bicycle exploded in Alokozay Chawk area of Mazar-e-Sharif city of Balkh province, in addition to the civilians, a policeman and five traffic policemen were injured.
December 19:
In Ashkamish district of Takhar province, Taliban militants attacked an outpost, killing two national security personnel.
Table-1: Afghan Forces’ Casualties
|
Name |
Killed | Injured | Total Killed and Injured |
| ANA | 28 | 11 |
39 |
|
Police |
30 | 19 | 49 |
| Total | 58 | 30 |
88 |
Anti-government Armed Militants’ Casualties
December 13:
Six Taliban fighters were killed in an airstrike in Shorab-Bandar area of Dasht-e-Archi district of Kunduz province.
Taliban militants attacked a military base of Afghan forces in Lewaney Bazar area of Qarabagh district of Ghazni province, as a result of which seven militants were killed.
Two militants were killed in an armed clash between Afghan forces and Taliban in Sarobi district of Paktika province.
December 14:
An Anti-government militant was killed and another wounded in an attack by Afghan commandos in Balkh district of Balkh province.
Eight Taliban militants were killed and four others were injured in airstrikes by Afghan forces in Borka area and Baghlan-e-Markazi districts of Baghlan province.
Four Taliban militants were killed in an attack by Afghan forces in Nahr-e-Siraj district of Helmand province.
December 15:
23 armed Taliban were killed in an armed clash with Afghan forces in Samak area of Dawlat Yar district of Ghor province on Kabul-Ghor highway.
Taliban militants attacked a police outpost in the area of Injil district and 10th Police District of Herat city, as a result, two Taliban militants were killed.
Three Taliban militants were killed and two others were injured in a clearance operation by Afghan forces in Nad Ali district of Helmand province.
December 16:
12 Taliban insurgents were killed and five others were injured in joint forces operations in Chardara and Imam Sahib districts of Kunduz province.
Afghan forces attacked a prison run by Taliban militants in Shahid Hassas district of Uruzgan province, killing three militants.
Six Taliban militants were killed and three others wounded in an attack by Afghan commandos in Trinkot city of Uruzgan province.
Afghan security forces killed five militants during an attack by Afghan security forces in Baraki Barak district of Logar province.
December 17:
An armed clash between Afghan forces and armed Taliban in Shahbaz area of Ghazni city has left 11 militants dead and six others injured.
Eight Taliban militants were killed in an attack by Afghan forces in Shah Walikot district of Kandahar province.
Three Taliban militants were killed and two others wounded in an airstrike in Arghandab district of Zabul province.
Three Taliban fighters were killed in an attack by Afghan Special Forces in Nahr-e-Shahi district of Balkh province.
December 18:
In armed clashes between Afghan forces and armed Taliban in Qaisar and Dawlat Abad districts of Faryab province, four Taliban fighters were killed and five others were injured.
Five Taliban militants were killed and another injured in an airstrike in Pusht-Koh district of Farah province.
December 19:
Six Taliban militants were killed and another wounded in an airstrike and an encounter with Afghan forces in Mohammad Dost village of Khair Kot district of Paktika province.
Table 2: Casualties of the Anti-government Armed Militants
|
Name |
Killed | Injured | Total Killed and Injured |
| Taliban | 122 | 30 |
152 |
|
Total |
122 | 30 |
152 |
Civilian Casualties
December 13:
A landmine exploded on a civilian coaster bus in Jaghato district of Ghazni province, killing ten civilians, including a child and four women, and wounding six others.
December 14:
An employee of the Electoral Complaints Commission (ECC) in Herat province was shot dead by an unidentified gunman in his office.
December 15:
Two children were killed and three others were injured in a rocket blast in Deh Hazar area of Bagram district of Parwan province.
Taliban militants attacked a police outpost in Injil district of Herat province and the Tenth Police District of Herat city, injuring four civilians beside police forces.
A bomb exploded in a coffee shop in Baraman area of Herat city, in which two civilians were injured, besides police forces.
December 16:
A civilian was killed and four others were injured in a night raid by the Afghan Special Forces in Qarghayi district of Laghman province.
A bomb blast in the building of Khwaja Ghar district of Takhar province injured four government officials.
Ten civilians, including five men, three women and two children, were killed in a roadside bomb blast in Abukhana area of Alisher district of Khost province.
December 17:
Six children were injured in a mortar shell in Bagh Amir area of Kunduz city.
A craftsman was killed and five others were injured in a roadside bomb blast on the Afghan-gas factory in Sheberghan city of Jawzjan province.
A bomb attached to a bicycle exploded in Alkozai Chawk of the second Police District of Mazar-e-Sharif city, as a result, 16 civilians were injured, besides police forces.
December 18:
Three civilians, including a woman, were injured in a rocket attack by Taliban militants in the center of Kohistan district of Faryab province.
December 19:
An explosion of a bomb attached to a civilian car in Bagh-e-Daud area of the Fifth Police District of Kabul City killed two people and injured two others, including a woman and a child.
Table 3: Civilian Casualties
|
Name |
Killed | Injured | Total Killed and Injured |
| Civilians | 27 | 55 |
82 |
|
Total |
27 | 55 |
82 |
Conclusion and Analysis of the Week
The report shows that all over the country, 322 people have been killed and injured (207 of them were killed and 115 wounded) from 13 – 19 December 2019.
The total number of casualties in this week has dropped compared to last week. On the Afghan government’s side, 70 Afghan security forces were killed last week; however, this week the number shows a decline to reach 58 killed security forces. The death toll among the government’s armed opposition has also dropped this week. 139 armed militants were killed last week; however, this week, 122 Taliban militants were killed in different parts of the country. Civilian casualties also showed a decline compared to last week. Last week, the civilian death toll was 31, yet this week the number has dropped to 27.
Although the death toll for Afghan forces was lower than last week, heavy casualties were reported in a bloody attack by Taliban infiltrators. The attack took place in Qarabagh district of Ghazni province on December 13, in which killed 25 Territorial Army soldiers. A similar incident happened two days before in Shahr-e-Safa district of Zabul province, which resulted in the death of seven policemen. Recently, the attacks by Taliban infiltrators have increased sharply. Members of the Afghan Parliament strongly criticized the situation. They have demanded that security officials should respond to these incidents.
The level of internal attacks in the ranks of Afghan forces has increased over the past few years, and fatalities have also shown a year-on-year increase. From January 1 to November 12, 2016, there were 56 internal attacks in which 151 people were killed and 79 others were injured. Moreover, from January to August 2017, there were 54 internal attacks. In 2018, the same attacks resulted in heavy casualties. The most important incident occurred in Kandahar where the provincial police chief, General Abdul Raziq, was killed. From the beginning of this year to the end of August, there were 56 such incidents. According to SIGAR’s report, from January 1 to August, 49 such incidents occurred in 2019, in which 167 Afghan soldiers were killed or injured.
On the other hand, heavy civilian casualties were once again this week due to landmine blasts. In one incident, on December 13, a bomb exploded on a civilian car in the Jaghato district of Ghazni province, killing 10 civilians, including women and children. In another similar incident, on 16 December, 10 civilians were killed in Alisher district of Khost province. Mines deployed by the armed opposition of the government are the main factor that has led to widespread civilian casualties in the ongoing conflict. The international human rights organizations have always called on both sides of the conflict to pay attention to civilian lives; yet, the killing of civilians in the ongoing conflict continues in a brutal way.
Women and children are one of the main victims of the war among civilians. Children have been killed in several incidents this week as well. The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), in its response, said that an average of nine children are killed or injured every day in Afghanistan.
While the bloody situation in the country, peace talks between the United States and the Taliban have reached its final stages, and it is said that there has been an unannounced ceasefire between the two sides. Getting to the final stages of negotiations between the Taliban and the US has raised hopes among Afghans; because the demand of the majority of Afghans is peace and the withdrawal of foreign troops from the country.
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 | 58 | Afghan Forces |
30 |
|
Anti-government Militants |
122 | Anti-government Militants | 30 |
| Civilians | 27 | Civilians |
55 |
|
Total |
207 | Total | 115 |
|
Total Casualties 322 |
|||
The end
