QASED Non-government Research Organization
(Issue No: 40)
Note: You can download the PDF format of the report from here.
Preface
This report covers the casualties of the ongoing war, which have been occurred in different areas of the country during February 7 -13, 2020. Overall, 387 people have been killed or wounded this week (242 killed and 145 wounded).
According to the report’s statistics, this week the total death toll due to the ongoing war in the country has dropped compared to past two weeks, 853 people were killed or wounded across the country in the past two weeks, but this week 387 people were killed or wounded.
The death toll among the government forces has dropped significantly over the past two weeks. The deadliest incidents for Afghan forces have been reported in Helmand, Baghlan and Kabul provinces, where at least 13 policemen were killed and 45 wounded in attacks by armed insurgents.
Civilian casualties also show a decline compared to the last two weeks. The deadliest civilian casualties were reported in Maidan Wardak, Kunduz, Badghis, Farah and Kabul provinces, where 21 civilians were killed and 15 others injured.
The death toll among anti-government militants has also shown a decline compared to the past two weeks. Also in Sherzad district of Nangarhar province, two foreign soldiers were killed and six others were injured in a clash between Afghan and foreign forces.
You would 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 last part.
Afghan Forces’ Casualties
February 7:
The commander of a police operation unit in Nawabad area of Herat city was mistakenly shot dead by ANA soldiers.
In Khwajak Baba area of the 10th security district of Kandahar city, a policeman and a national security soldier were killed by unidentified gunmen.
At least two ANA soldiers were killed in a roadside mine blast in Chamtal district of Balkh province.
Armed Taliban attacked an Afghan post in Shortepa district of Balkh province, killing one ANA soldier and injuring another.
A local policeman has been killed in a Taliban insurgent ambush in Hussainkhel area of Pul-e-Khumri city of Baghlan province.
An ANA soldier has been killed by armed Taliban in Dawlatabad district of Faryab province.
February 8:
Four policemen were killed and two others injured when a roadside mine exploded in Greshk district of Helmand province.
An ANA soldier was killed and three others were injured in a clash between Afghan and foreign forces in Sherzad district of Nangarhar province.
February 9:
In Musazai area between Khanabad and Ali Abad districts of Kunduz province, two policemen were killed and three others were injured when a mine exploded on an Afghan army vehicle.
Taliban militants attacked the center of Ali Abad district of Kunduz province, killing one policeman and injuring another.
A local police commander has been killed and another injured in an armed Taliban attack in Baharak district of Badakhshan province.
February 10:
Three policemen were killed and 33 other security forces were injured in 12-hours armed clash between Afghan forces and armed Taliban in Zangal-Bagh area of Baghlan central district of Baghlan province.
Unidentified gunmen shot dead a police officer in the area of Herat city’s second security zone.
A policeman was killed during unidentified Taliban attack in the center of Greshk district of Helmand province.
A policeman was killed and three others were injured in an insurgent attack in the 8th police district of Lashkar Gah, the capital of Helmand province.
February 11:
A local policeman shot dead three of his colleagues in Murasi area of Panjwai district of Kandahar province.
An explosion occurred at the entrance of Marshal Fahim University in the fifth security district of Kabul city, killed four ANA soldiers and injured seven others.
February 12:
Five policemen were killed in a bomb blast in Nawa district of Helmand province.
Table-1: Afghan Forces’ Casualties
|
Name |
Killed | Injured | Total Killed and Injured |
| ANA | 9 | 11 |
20 |
|
Police |
26 | 42 | 68 |
| Total | 35 | 53 |
88 |
Anti-government Armed Militants’ Casualties
February 7:
In an armed clash between Afghan forces and armed insurgents in Kokashib area of Farah province, two anti-government militants were killed.
Six Taliban militants, including a district chief, were killed in an airstrike in Chamtal district of northern Balkh province.
Two senior Pakistani Taliban were killed near Intercontinental Hotel in Kabul.
Five armed Taliban were killed in an armed clash between Afghan forces and armed Taliban in Shortepa district of Balkh province.
February 8:
13 anti-government insurgents have been killed and three others wounded during an operation by Afghan forces in Qala-i-Ka district of Farah province.
Five Taliban militants were killed in a mine blast in Dara Band area of Sayad district of Sar-e-Pul province.
February 9:
Three Taliban insurgents were killed and four others were injured in an Afghan security forces operation in Argho area of Khakrez district of Kandahar province.
An ISAF airstrike killed seven ISIS militants and wounded 11 others in an airstrike in Dewa Gul valley of Zoki district of Kunar province.
Airstrikes in Nawabad, Spin Kai and Khwaja Gulbardad areas of Chaharbulak district of Balkh province have killed six Taliban militants and wounded 12 more.
In Shorayiq district of Shortepe district of Balkh province, an attack by Afghan forces and armed Taliban killed two Taliban militants and wounded three others.
February 10:
Eight Taliban militants were killed and six others were injured in airstrikes and ground operations by Afghan forces in Tirinkot, Dehraud and Khas Uruzgan districts of Uruzgan province.
February 11:
Five Taliban militants were killed and another injured in an airstrike in Nahr-e-Saraj district of Helmand province.
February 12:
In Jarkhushk area of Baghlan central district of Baghlan province, 13 armed Taliban were killed and ten others were injured in a joint Afghan forces operation.
Six Taliban militants were killed in joint Afghan forces attack in Alishang district of Laghman province.
Three Taliban militants have been killed in airstrikes in Qala-e-Shamir and Band-Tamori areas of Maiwand district of Kandahar province.
Four militants were killed in an airstrike in Pasht-Road district of Farah province.
11 armed Taliban were killed in Sherzad district of Nangarhar province.
February 13:
A Taliban militant was killed in an improvised explosive device in Marawara district of Kunar province.
Six Taliban militants were killed in an airstrike by Afghan forces in Herat province.
Two Taliban militants were killed and Four others wounded in an attack by Afghan forces in Elingar district of Laghman province.
Three armed insurgents were killed and five others wounded in Chaharbulak district of Balkh province.
Six Taliban militants were killed in an airstrike in Bandh Safed area of Khasan district of Farah province.
44 armed Taliban were killed in Afghan forces operations in Durbanba and Momandra districts of Nangarhar province.
Table 2: Casualties of the Anti-government Armed Militants
|
Name |
Killed | Injured | Total Killed and Injured |
| Taliban | 156 | 49 |
205 |
|
ISIS |
7 | 11 | 18 |
| Total | 163 | 60 |
223 |
Civilian Casualties
February 7:
A 17-year-old girl has been killed in an armed clash between Afghan forces and armed Taliban in Sar-e-Pul province.
Two children were killed and three others were injured in a mine blast in the center of Darzab district of Jawzjan province.
Three civilians were killed and another injured in a drone strike in Hakimkhel village of Daymirdad district of Maidan Wardak province.
In Takhar province, a civilian was first abducted by Taliban and later killed.
February 8:
Six civilians were killed and three others were injured in an airstrike in Qurutawi area of Bala Murghab district in Badghis province.
Two civilians were killed and another injured in a mine blast in Greshk district of Helmand province.
February 9:
A child was killed and four others were injured when a mortar shell struck a civilian house in Mash Aab Qashlaq area of Dasht-e-Qala district of Takhar province.
Taliban militants attacked an Afghan post in Dasht-e-Archi district of Kunduz province, killing two civilians.
Another man was killed in armed Taliban shootings.
February 10:
An airstrike in Farah province killed five civilians who were businessmen.
A mother and daughter have been killed in an attack by unknown gunmen in Yakab Dasht area of Sar-e-Pul province.
February 11:
One person was injured in a roadside mine blast in Kot Sangi area of Kabul city.
An explosion occurred at the entrance of Marshal Fahim University in the fifth security district of Kabul city, killing two civilians and injuring eight others.
A civilian was killed and another was injured in a roadside mine blast in Laman area of Qala-e-Naw, Badghis province.
February 12:
A driver was killed by Taliban militants in Doshi district of Baghlan province on Kabul-Baghlan highway.
Two civilians were injured in an airstrike in Imam Sahib district of Kunduz province.
February 13:
Five civilians were killed and three others were injured in a mine blast in Dasht-e-Archi district of Kunduz province.
Five civilians were killed in a drone strike in Zeni Khel area of Nadirshahkot district of Khost province.
A woman was killed in an attack by Taliban militants in Pul-e-Khumri center of Baghlan province.
Table 3: Civilian Casualties
|
Name |
Killed | Injured | Total Killed and Injured |
| Civilians | 42 | 26 |
68 |
|
Total |
42 | 26 |
68 |
Foreign Forces Casualties
February 8:
Two US soldiers were killed and six others injured in an armed clash between Afghan and foreign forces in Sherzad district of Nangarhar province.
Conclusion and Analysis of the Week
The report shows that all over the country, 387 people have been killed and injured (242 of them were killed and 145 wounded) from 7 – 13 February 2020.
The overall death toll is low this week; the death toll of Afghan forces this week is much lower than in the previous two weeks. 127 Afghan security forces have been killed in the past two weeks; but this week the level has dropped to 35 Afghan security forces killed. The death toll among anti-government militants side has also dropped compared to the past two weeks, in the past two weeks, 328 have been killed however, this week, the number is 163; Civilian death rates also show a decline compared to the last two weeks. The number of civilian deaths in the past two weeks was 53, but this week the number has dropped to 42.
This week was once again a bloody week for Afghan forces, armed insurgents and civilians. A Taliban infiltrator shot and killed three local policemen in Kandahar this week. A study shows that in the past four years, more than 200 attacks have occurred in Afghan security forces. Taliban have claimed responsibility for most of these attacks. Experts say, intelligence weakness is the main reason for these attacks, but the Defense Ministry has claimed that such incidents are low. Although the death toll among civilians is lower this week than in the previous two weeks, more casualties have occured in night raids of Afghan and foreign troops and drone strikes. Airstrikes targeting civilians are a major humanitarian crime; this week, there have been several casualties due to Afghan and foreign forces airstrikes in Farah, Kunduz, Badghis and Maidan Wardak provinces. Three civilians were killed and another injured in a drone strike in Daymirdad district of Maidan Wardak province, one of the dead was a graduate of Ghazni University and two others were students.
The bloody situation came as the tenth round of US-Taliban peace talks ended and President Donald Trump conditionality approved the agreement with the Taliban in an unprecedented progress in US-Taliban peace talks. The breakthrough comes after the Taliban agreed to extend the period of reduced violence in the battlefield, and it looks like to come in the coming days, as President Trump said in a radio interview that they have come closer to a deal with the Taliban and everything will be clear in the next two weeks. A peace deal between the United States and the Taliban will be signed after the period of reduced violence that will pave the way for an end to America’s longest foreign war. It is expected that after the peace deal between the Taliban and the United States, negotiations between Afghan partis will be started. These recent developments over Afghanistan’s peace have fueled Afghan hopes and optimism.
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 | 35 | Afghan Forces |
53 |
|
Anti-government Militants |
163 | Anti-government Militants | 60 |
| Civilians | 42 | Civilians |
26 |
|
Foreign Forces |
2 | Foreign Forces | 6 |
| Total | 242 | Total |
145 |
|
Total Casualties 387 |
|||
The end
