QASED Non-government Research Organization
(Issue No: 35)
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 January 3 – 9, 2020. Overall, 259 people have been killed or wounded this week (178 killed and 81 wounded).
According to the report’s statistics, the total death toll due to the ongoing war in the country has dropped significantly this week compared to last week. Last week, 581 people were killed and wounded across the country; but this week, the number dropped to reach 251 people killed and wounded.
The death toll among the Afghan forces has dropped over the past week, mainly due to the decrease in Taliban attacks in the colder areas of the country. The deadliest incident occurred in Kandahar province, where at least nine policemen were killed and six others wounded in a Taliban attack.
The number of civilian casualties shows an increase this week and many deaths have been attributed to air strikes and night raids by Afghan and foreign forces. Five civilians were killed in an overnight operation in Kabul city. Also, due to NATO forces bombing in Shindand district of Herat province, civilians were killed along with armed insurgents.
The death toll for militants has also dropped, compared to last week; however, many deaths were reported in airstrikes, with the deadliest incident in Shindand district of Herat province.
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
January 4:
Three policemen were killed in a roadside bomb blast in the area of Shahrak district on the Ghor-Herat highway of Ghor province.
Armed Taliban attacked an Afghan forces’ outpost in Kunduz city, injuring three policemen.
An ANA soldier was killed during an armed clash in Joy Naw area of Kohsan district of Herat province.
A policeman was killed in an attack by unknown gunmen in the center of Oba district of Herat province.
January 5:
One security personnel have been killed and two others wounded in an armed clash between Taliban and Afghan forces in the center of Gorziwan district of Faryab province.
Gunmen detonated a car bomb near a security outpost in Khakrez district of Kandahar province, and then a clash ensued, killing nine national policemen and injuring six others.
A policeman was killed and another injured in an armed clash between armed Taliban and Afghan forces in Angorbagh area of Kunduz city.
Taliban attacked an outpost in Qaisar district of Faryab province, killing one ANA soldier and injuring another.
A policeman was killed and four others injured when a mine exploded in Bolan area of Lashkar Gah, the capital of Helmand province.
In Korak Mughal area of the center of Sar-e-Pul province, Taliban militants attacked an outpost, after which a clash ensued, killing two local policemen.
January 7:
At least three security personnel were killed and three others were injured when a gunman opened fire in an area of Dawlat-Abad district of Faryab province.
January 8:
An ANA helicopter heading towards Parchaman district from the center of Farah province crashed due to technical problems, killing two pilots.
Ten people, including Paktika police chief, were injured due to the collapse of a helicopter belonging to ANA in Paktia province.
Unknown gunmen shot dead a military officer near Herat city’s 8th Police District.
Table-1: Afghan Forces’ Casualties
|
Name |
Killed | Injured | Total Killed and Injured |
| ANA | 8 | 14 |
22 |
|
Police |
18 | 16 | 34 |
| Total | 26 | 30 |
56 |
Anti-government Armed Militants’ Casualties
January 3:
Three Taliban fighters were killed and two others were injured in a special Afghan police operation in Kishanda district of Balkh province.
Six Taliban militants were killed and four others were injured in an airstrike in Tirinkot city of Uruzgan province.
January 4:
Three Taliban militants were killed and two others were injured in an operation by Afghan forces in Sangin district of Helmand province.
In Kunduz city, armed Taliban attacked an outpost, eight militants were killed in the clash.
Five Taliban militants were killed and three others were injured in an airstrike in Qala Kah district of Farah province.
Six Taliban insurgents were killed and seven others were injured in a clash in Nad Ali district of Helmand province.
Three armed Taliban were killed in an airstrike in Ahmad Khel area of Khogyani district of Nangarhar province.
Four mine planters were killed in Mehtarlam city, the center of Laghman province.
January 5:
In an armed clash between Afghan forces and Taliban in Faryab province, eight armed insurgents were killed and 13 others wounded.
An armed Taliban commander was killed in an operation by Afghan forces in Sikandarkhel area of Ariob Zazi district of Paktia province.
Four Taliban militants were killed in an armed clash between Afghan forces and Taliban in Kunduz province.
In Korak Mughal area of Sar-e-Pul province, Taliban militants attacked an Afghan post, as a result of the clash, four Taliban militants were killed.
January 7:
Five Taliban fighters were killed in an attack by Afghan forces in Pusht Koh district of Farah province.
Eight Taliban militants were killed in an airstrike in Maiwand district of Kandahar province.
Taliban’s skilled mine engineer was killed along with four other militants in an airstrike in Baswan village of Aqtash district of Kunduz province.
January 8:
A NATO airstrike in Zerkoh area of Shindand district of Herat province, killed a former Taliban commander and 15 other militants.
Five armed Taliban were killed in an attack by Afghan forces in Toghli Payin area of Almar district of Faryab province.
Five armed insurgents have been killed in an attack by Afghan forces in Sultan Khel area of Tagab district of Kapisa province.
Five armed Taliban were killed in an attack by Afghan forces in Khanshin and Garamsir districts of Helmand province.
In another incident, two armed Taliban were killed and five others were injured in Sangin district of Helmand province.
January 9:
Eight Taliban members were killed in a night raid by Afghan forces in Hemat Khel village of Chack district of Maidan Wardak province.
Table–2: Casualties of the Anti-government Armed Militants
|
Name |
Killed | Injured | Total Killed and Injured |
| Taliban | 114 | 36 |
150 |
|
Total |
114 | 36 |
150 |
Civilian Casualties
January 3:
A child was killed in a roadside bomb blast in Qadis district of Badghis province.
January 4:
A civilian was killed and three others were injured in a bomb blast in the 10th Police District of Mazar-e-Sharif city.
January 5:
Afghan forces killed an old man and took prisoner several other civilians during a night raid in Kutab Khel area of Laghman province.
Afghan forces have killed a former Jamyat-e-Islami party commander, Amer Starr, and four other civilians in a night raid in Khair Khana area of Kabul city.
Two civilians were killed in a roadside bomb blast in Khashrod district of Nimroz province.
Taliban militants killed two civilians in Baloch village of Dara-e-Suf Payan district of Sangmagan province.
January 7:
A civilian was killed in an attack by unknown gunmen near Talashee Square in Jalalabad city.
January 8:
At least eight civilians were killed and nine others were injured in an airstrike by NATO -led forces targeting a former Taliban commender in Zerkoh area of Shindand district of Herat province.
January 9:
Two civilians were injured in a security incident in Dawlatabad district of Faryab province.
Six children were killed in a night raid by Afghan forces at a religious school in Kunduz province.
In another night raid in Laghman province’s Elingar district, six people were killed and three others wounded.
Three civilians, including two women, were killed in a joint operation by Afghan forces in Badarab area of Tagab district of Kapisa province.
Table–3: Civilian Casualties
|
Name |
Killed | Injured | Total Killed and Injured |
| Civilians | 38 | 15 |
53 |
|
Total |
38 | 15 |
53 |
Conclusion and Analysis of the Week
The report shows that all over the country, 259 people have been killed and injured (178 of them were killed and 81 wounded) from 3 – 9 January 2020.
The total number of casualties in this week has dropped significantly compared to last week. On the Afghan government’s side, 122 Afghan security forces were killed last week; however, this week 26 Afghan security forces were killed. The death toll for the anti government armed militants has also dropped this week. 267 armed militants were killed last week; but this week, the number has dropped by more than half to reach 114 Taliban militants killed. Civilian casualties in the other hand are higher than last week. Last week, the civilian death toll was 24, but this week the number has risen to 38.
The death toll this week, especially for Afghan forces, has dropped significantly, mainly due to snowfall and cold waves in the colder regions of the country, which has led to the dropping of security incidents level.
On the other hand, civilian casualties increased compared to last week and many casualties were reported in night raids and airstrikes of Afghan special forces. Civilian casualties in night operations continue despite widespread reactions and criticism. This week, a wave of such incidents swept through the city of Kabul. At least five people, including a former commander of Jamiat-e-Islami Party, were killed in a night operation by Afghan special forces in Khair Khana area of Kabul city. Its said that the commander have been a supporter of the Dawla Saz electoral team headed by President Ashraf Ghani. The incident triggered more reactions than any other such incidents, President Ashraf Ghani met with the families of the victims and appointed a delegation to investigate the incident. Similar incidents have also happened in Kunduz, Kapisa and Laghman provinces, where, as usual, the victims have been shown to be Taliban militants. There are various analyses of such incidents, and it is widely believed that the Afghan government is unable to stop these operations. Most of the criticism is that instead of arresting and detaining people during night operations, innocent people and been killed killed in their homes without trial.
Regarding the civilian casualties of the ongoing war, some domestic and international organizations have published their reports and have expressed concern about the high civilian casualties. The Independent Human Rights Commission also said in its latest report this week that civilian casualties have increased by 8.3 percent in the last six months.
The high level of civilian casualties in the ongoing conflict comes at a time when the US side has recently called for a ceasefire in negotiations with the Taliban, which has delayed the peace agreement between the United States and the Taliban.
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 | 26 | Afghan Forces |
30 |
|
Anti-government Militants |
114 | Anti-government Militants | 36 |
| Civilians | 38 | Civilians |
15 |
|
Total |
178 | Total | 81 |
|
Total Casualties 259 |
|||
The end
