At least 64 security forces and 26 civilians have been killed in Afghanistan so far this month.
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. At least 64 pro-government forces and 26 civilians were killed in Afghanistan the past week. The deadliest attack took place in Nangarhar Province, where a Humvee laden with explosives targeted an Afghan National Civil Order Force military base in the Gandumak area of Shirzad District. At least 14 soldiers were killed and four others were wounded in the attack. A fight erupted and 10 people were killed after a protest turned violent in Hesa-e-Awal Behsud District. Afghan special forces had been sent to two districts — Hesa-e-Awal Behsud and Hesa-e-Dowam Behsud — to introduce new police commanders, though local residents were opposed to their arrival. A protest broke out in response to the special forces’ presence. According to local accounts, security forces opened fire on civilians. According to security forces, one of the protesters grabbed a soldier’s firearm and opened fire on the protesters. The government has called for an investigation of what happened. [Read the Afghan War Casualty Report from previous weeks.] Feb.4 Faryab Province: three soldiers killed The Taliban attacked security forces in Juma Bazaar area, the center of Khwaja Sabz Posh District, killing three soldiers, including a battalion commander, and taking 11 others prisoner. Feb.4 Herat Province: one security force killed One member of the National Directorate of Security was killed and two others were wounded in a Taliban ambush in the village of Posta-e-Bairaq in Ghoryan District. Feb.4 Nangarhar Province: one civilian killed A mortar fired by the Taliban hit a house in Garkhel area of Shirzad District, killing one woman and wounding six people, including four children. Feb.3 Takhar Province: two security forces killed The Taliban attacked a house of a pro-government militia commander in the Qara Parchaw area of Taloqan, the provincial capital, killing the commander and his son, also a militia member. Feb.3 Nangarhar Province: five security forces killed The Taliban attacked a security outpost in the Momand Tangi area of Spin Ghar District, killing five pro-government militia members. Local authorities claimed 11 Taliban members were killed in the attack. Feb.3 Badghis Province: six police officers killed Six police officers were killed and another was wounded when the Taliban attacked Afghan forces in the village of Sanjidak of Moqor District.
