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.
July 31-Aug. 6, 2020
At least 42 pro-government forces and 41 civilians were killed in Afghanistan during the past week. The Taliban announced a three-day cease-fire during Eid al-Adha, the Feast of Sacrifice, starting Friday. The Afghan Ministry of Interior said that the Taliban carried out 38 attacks during the cease-fire, killing 20 civilians and wounding 40 others. The deadliest attack took place in Nangarhar Province, where Islamic State militants and affiliated groups attacked the main prison in Jalalabad City, the provincial capital. At least 30 people — including 11 police officers, five prisoners and 14 civilians — were killed. In Baghlan Province, the convoy of a former member of the provincial council was ambushed by the Taliban in the Chemai Sher area of Pul-i-Kumri, the provincial capital. The 12 police officers guarding the convoy were all killed.
[Read the Afghan War Casualty Report from previous weeks.]
Aug. 6 Helmand Province: six police officers killed
The Taliban attacked security outposts in Nawa District, killing six police officers.
Aug. 6 Nimroz Province: one police officer killed
A Humvee hit a roadside bomb in the Chore Sanarud area of Charburjak District, killing one police officer and wounding four others.
Aug. 6 Kunduz Province: one local police officer killed
A Taliban marksman shot and killed a local police officer in his outpost in the Madrasa area of Ali Abad District while he was on duty.
Aug. 5 Kandahar Province: one civilian killed
A former police officer who was running a grocery shop in the Hadurokali area of Arghandab District was shot and killed by unknown gunmen near his store. He resigned from his job as a police officer three years ago.
Aug. 4 Takhar Province: one civilian killed
A local singer was shot and killed by the Taliban when he was heading home from a wedding ceremony in the Ezana area of Chah Aab District.
Aug. 4 Herat Province: two soldiers killed
The Taliban ambushed a military convoy in the Chehel-Dokhtaran area of Kushk-e-Robat Sangi District, killing two soldiers and wounding six others. The military convoy was heading toward Torghundi Port when it came under attack.
Aug. 4 Baghlan Province: 12 police officers killed
A convoy transporting a former member of the provincial council was ambushed by the Taliban in the Chemai Sher area of Pul-i-Kumri, the provincial capital, killing 12 police officers who were guarding the convoy.
Aug. 4 Nimroz Province: seven civilians killed
A civilian minibus was blown up when a roadside bomb planted by the Taliban exploded in Khashrod District, killing seven civilians.
Aug. 3 Herat Province: one police officer killed
A police officer on duty was shot and killed by unknown gunmen on motorcycles in the Second Police District of Herat City, the provincial capital. The attackers managed to escape from the area.
Aug. 3 Badghis Province: four civilians killed
A mortar fired by the Afghan army hit a house in the center of Bala Murghab District, killing three children and one woman. Two other civilians were wounded.
Aug. 3 Nangarhar Province: 30 people killed
Militants of the Islamic State and affiliated groups attacked the main prison in Jalalabad City, the provincial capital, where clashes continued for nearly 20 hours between 11 attackers and Afghan security forces. At least 30 people — including 11 police officers, five prisoners and 14 civilians — were killed. At least 48 people were wounded, though an exact breakdown was not provided. Roughly 1,793 prisoners were in the prison at the time of attack; 430 of them were rescued by security forces while another 1,025 were arrested while trying to escape. After the attack, 300 prisoners went missing, including 71 members of the Islamic State and 27 Taliban insurgents.
Aug. 3 Helmand Province: one police officer killed
Unknown gunmen on a motorcycle opened fire on police officers in the Third Police District of Lashkar Gah, killing one police officer before fleeing the area.
Aug. 3 Kandahar Province: three civilians killed
A roadside bomb targeted a civilian vehicle in the Kacha Ziarat area of Spin Boldak District, killing three civilians and wounding two others.
Aug. 3 Ghor Province: one security force killed
One member of the National Directorate of Security, Afghanistan’s intelligence agency, was shot and killed by the Taliban in the village of Akhta-Khana in Firoz Koh, the provincial capital.
Aug. 1 Ghazni Province: one civilian killed
A civil activist was kidnapped and killed by the Taliban in the Taliban-controlled Khodzaey village of Andar District while visiting his family during the Eid al-Adha cease-fire.
Aug. 1 Uruzgan Province: one civilian killed
One civilian was killed when a roadside bomb planted by the Taliban exploded near his garden in Tarin Kot, the provincial capital.
July 31 Helmand Province: six soldiers killed
A roadside bomb hit a military vehicle in the Torasha area of Sangin District when the convoy was heading toward a nearby military base. Six soldiers were killed and four others were wounded, while an additional two soldiers went missing after the Taliban ambushed the convoy.
July 31 Uruzgan Province: four civilians killed
Four civilians, including two children, were killed when a roadside bomb planted by the Taliban exploded in the center of Dehrawot District.
Reporting was contributed by the following New York Times reporters: Najim Rahim from Kunduz, Taimoor Shah from Kandahar, Zabihullah Ghazi from Nangarhar and Asadullah Timoory from Herat.