At least 45 pro-government forces and 38 civilians were killed in Afghanistan during the past week.
The following reports compile all significant security incidents confirmed by New York Times reporters throughout Afghanistan. It is necessarily incomplete as many local officials refuse to confirm casualty information. The toll here does not generally include claims of insurgents killed by the government, because of the difficulty of verifying such claims. Similarly, the reports do not include attacks on the government claimed by the Taliban. Both sides routinely inflate casualties of their opponents.
Afghan casualties finally dropped this week, with 45 security force deaths and 38 civilians killed, by rockets, airstrikes and an I. E. D. The reduced casualty rate reflected the normal reduction in the war’s tempo during the winter months, although that reduction had been much delayed. Once again, the preponderance of Taliban attacks was in the west and north of the country, typically with insurgents overrunning small outposts. Meanwhile, the Islamic State affiliate in Afghanistan has been quiet for some time now.
[ Read the Afghan War Casualty Report from previous weeks .]
Dec. 20 Herat Province: four civilians killed
A mortar went off in Chesht District, killing four civilians and wounding three others.
Dec. 20 Faryab Province: eight security forces killed
The Taliban captured an outpost in Qaisar District, killing six soldiers and two police officers and wounding 11 others in the process.
Dec. 20 Baghlan Province: three local police killed
A local police commander’s house was attacked by the Taliban in Dahan-e-Ghori District.
