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 seven pro-government forces and seven civilians were killed in Afghanistan during the past week. Casualties among pro-government forces and civilians decreased significantly compared to previous weeks. The only mass-casualty incident against Afghan forces occurred in Badakhshan Province, where four pro-government forces were killed. Two pro-government forces were also killed a military operation against the Taliban in Herat Province, where officials claimed that 12 insurgents were killed. There were several Taliban attacks on outposts and bases, but Afghan security forces did not suffer casualties, which may be attributed to the improved arrival time of reinforcements. Airstrikes and commando operations were also accelerated all over the country recently.
[Read the Afghan War Casualty Report from previous weeks.]
June 20 Nangarhar Province: two civilians killed
Two civilians were killed and 20 others were wounded when an explosive attached to a private vehicle went off in Jalalabad’s Second Police District.
June 19 Badakhshan Province: four pro-government militia members killed
The Taliban attacked the center of Shuhada District, where fighting continued for more than 24 hours. A village was captured by the Taliban and four pro-government militia members were killed. The Taliban were later pushed back and the village was recaptured.
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June 18 Paktika Province: one police officer killed
Mohammad Ayoub, the police chief of Barmal District, was killed and three police officers were wounded in a Taliban ambush in the Gulwal area of Yahya Khail District. Local authorities claimed that three Taliban fighters were also killed in the attack.
June 17 Herat Province: two police officers killed
Two police officers were killed during a military operation in Pashtun Zarghon and Aobe districts. Local authorities claimed that 12 Taliban fighters were killed and 15 others were injured in the operation.
June 15 Takhar Province: four civilians killed
Four civilians were killed and three others were wounded during a battle between the Taliban and Afghan forces in Ishkamish District, where several airstrikes were also carried out by the Afghan Air Force. Local authorities said that the civilians were killed in the airstrike. Local officials claimed that at least 20 Taliban fighters were killed during the clashes which continued in the district for several days.
June 15 Paktia Province: one civilian killed
Lala Jan, a tribal elder, was killed and two civilians were wounded when an explosive attached to his vehicle went off in the Shahre Naw Bazaar area of Samkani District.
Reporting was contributed by the following New York Times reporters: Najim Rahim from Mazar-e-Sharif, Zabihullah Ghazi from Jalalabad, Asadullah Timoori from Herat and Farooq Jan Mangal from Khost.
Source : Nytimes
