At War: Afghan War Casualty Report: March 15-21

Visits: 17

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.

The deadliest attack took place in Faryab Province, where a Taliban Red Unit attacked a military base and security outposts in Arkalik village. At least 22 Afghan security forces were killed, eight police officers were wounded and four police officers were taken prisoner. The Taliban captured the military base and four outposts, looting all weapons and equipment. In Badghis Province, the Taliban carried out the biggest known capture of Afghan soldiers of the war, taking 150 prisoners after they chased units into neighboring Turkmenistan and that country forced them back, Afghan officials said on Sunday. The operation took place in Bala Murghab District in the northwestern Afghan province of Badghis. The Taliban later announced that they had released 58 soldiers who promised that they would not rejoin the Afghan security forces.

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

March 20 Nangarhar: one civilian killed

One civilian was killed and two others were wounded when unknown gunmen opened fire on them in Jalalabad City, the provincial capital.

March 19 Herat Province: one civilian killed

One person was killed and six others were wounded by an I.E.D. blast in the Ninth Police District of Herat City.

March 18 Kunduz Province: two civilians killed

Two civilians were killed in clashes between Afghan commandos and the Taliban in the village of Sar Asia in Chardara District. Local officials claimed that four Taliban fighters were also killed in the clashes.

March 18 Baghlan Province: two police officers killed

A police vehicle hit a roadside bomb in First Police District of Pul-i-Kumri City, the provincial capital, killing two police officers and wounding a police officer and one civilian.

March 18 Logar Province: one police officer killed

Saber Khan, the police chief of Baraki Barak District, was killed and three other police officers were wounded when a bomb attached to Khan’s vehicle exploded in the district.

March 17 Faryab Province: 22 security forces killed

A Taliban Red Unit attacked a military base and security outposts in the village of Arkalik in Qaisar District, where fighting continued for seven hours. Fifteen soldiers and five police officers were killed, eight police officers were wounded and four police officers were taken prisoner in the clashes. The Taliban captured the military base and four outposts, looting all weapons and equipment. Reinforcements never arrived despite many calls for backup. After the Taliban left the area, security forces started evacuating bodies and bombs placed under the bodies exploded, killing two police officers.

March 17 Nangarhar Province: one civilian killed

An 8-year-old child was killed and four pro-government militia members and a civilian were wounded when a roadside bomb exploded near a group of people near the Abku Ziarat area of Khogyani District.

March 16 Sar-i-Pul Province: four police officers killed

The Taliban attacked a security outpost in the village of Panjshir in Sar-i-Pul City, the provincial capital. Four police officers were killed and four others were wounded in two hours of fighting. The outpost was captured by the Taliban, seizing all weapons and equipment.

March 16 Kandahar Province: four security forces killed

A vehicle carrying Haji Zmarai, the unit commander of Afghan National Civil Order Police, which is part of the Afghan military, hit a roadside bomb in the Gul Kalacha area of Arghandab District. Zmarai and his three bodyguards were killed in the explosion.

March 16 Badghis Province: 150 soldiers captured by the Taliban

The Taliban carried out the biggest known capture of Afghan soldiers of the war, taking 150 prisoners after they chased units into neighboring Turkmenistan and that country forced them back, Afghan officials said on Sunday. The operation took place in Bala Murghab District in the northwestern Afghan province of Badghis. The Taliban later announced that they had released 58 soldiers who promised that they would not rejoin the Afghan security forces.

March 16 Helmand Province: one member of a pro-government militia killed

A bomb attached to a vehicle transporting pro-government militia members exploded in Lashkar Gah, the provincial capital. One militia member was killed and three others were wounded in the explosion.

March 16 Takhar Province: one police officer killed

One police officer was killed and another was wounded when a verbal dispute between police and soldiers escalated into clashes between both sides. The incident happened inside a health facility in Darqad District.

March 16 Kunduz Province: two security forces killed

A group of local police officers and pro-government militia members were ambushed by the Taliban in the village of Zangi in Ali Abad District. One local police officer and one pro-government militia member were killed in the clashes.

March 16 Kabul Province: one civilian killed

An I.E.D. attached to a private vehicle exploded in Third Police District in Kabul City, killing one civilian and wounding two others.

March 15 Khost Province: one journalist killed

A local journalist, Sultan Mahmood Khairkhwa, was shot and badly wounded by unknown gunmen in western part of Khost City, the provincial capital. He later died of his wounds at the hospital.

March 15 Farah Province: one civilian killed

In the village of Nilam in Pusht-e-Koh District, a roadside bomb was dragged by flash floods and exploded when a group of children were trying to move it. One child was killed and seven others were wounded in the explosion. All those killed and wounded were under the age of 20.

March 15 Paktia Province: four civilians killed

A father and his three sons were killed by American forces during a night raid in the Sahak area of Zurmat District. Local authorities claimed that a number of Taliban fighters were killed in the raid, but they did not provide exact figures. The Afghan government launched an investigation to find out more about civilian casualties.

March 15 Badghis Province: eight commandos killed

Taliban fighters equipped with heavy and light weapons attacked security outposts outside of Bala Murghab District, killing eight members of an Afghan commando unit. According to local officials, the district is on the verge of collapse.


Reporting was contributed by the following New York Times reporters: Najim Rahim from Mazar-e-Sharif; Mohammad Saber from Herat; Taimoor Shah from Kandahar; Naseer Rahin from Kabul and Zabihullah Ghazi from Jalalabad.

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