Seventeen U.S. Service Members Died In Afghanistan In 2019

U.S. deaths since 2001. Data sourced from iCasualties.org

The Hill: US combat deaths in Afghanistan highest in years

Seventeen service members died in Afghanistan in 2019, the highest number since 2015, according to a year-end tally compiled by the Department of Defense and reported by Army Times.

Fourteen of the fallen service members were from the Army, while three were Marines.

The soldiers killed included eight Green Berets, an Army Ranger and three paratroopers.

Last year’s list of fatalities caused by hostile action surpassed the death tolls of 2018, when 13 service members died, and 2017, when 11 died.

In 2016 and 2015, the number of military fatalities resulting from hostile action was nine and 10, respectively.

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Update #1: New in 2020: Army combat casualties trend upwards into 2020 (Army Times)
Update #2: Taliban 'smell blood in the water': US deaths in Afghanistan reach a five-year high in 2019 (Washington Examiner)

WNU Editor: For the Afghans themselves it has been a terrible year when it comes to casualties from this war .... Why 2019 was Afghanistan's best and worst year since US invasion (Al Jazeera). And when one looks at the decade .... UN: Afghan War Caused 100,000 Civilian Casualties Since 2009 (VOA).

UN Report: More Afghanistan Civilians Killed By Afghan And American Forces Than By Taliban/ISIS

CNN: UN report: Afghan, US forces contributed to more civilian deaths in Afghanistan than Taliban, ISIS in first three months of 2019

Afghan government, US and international forces have been responsible for more civilian deaths in Afghanistan in the first three months of 2019 than the Taliban and ISIS, according to a United Nations report out Wednesday.
This marks the first time since 2009, when the UN Assistance Mission in Afghanistan began documenting civilian deaths and injuries, that the number of deaths caused by pro-government forces during the first quarter of 2019 surpassed those the UN attributed to insurgent groups.
According to the UN report, the Taliban, ISIS and other insurgents were responsible for the majority of civilian casualties, which include deaths and injuries. Overall, the number of casualties saw a 23% decrease from the first quarter of 2018, the UN found.

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WNU Editor: The UN report is here .... Afghanistan Protection of Civilians in Armed Conflict Quarterly Report (UNAMA)

More News On The UN Reporting More Afghanistan Civilians Killed By Afghan And American Forces Than By Taliban/ISIS

UN: Pro-government forces kill more Afghans than insurgents -- AP
More Afghanistan civilians being killed by Afghan and American forces than by Taliban: report -- The Hill
U.S. and Afghan Forces Killed More Civilians Than Taliban Did, Report Finds -- The New York Times
Afghan Civilian Casualties Down; Coalition Forces Killed More Than Taliban -- RFE
NATO, Afghan forces kill more civilians than Taliban -- DW
UN: Pro-government forces kill more Afghans than armed groups -- Al Jazeera
U.N.: Pro-Afghan forces killed more civilians than Taliban, IS in 2019 -- UPI
UN Notes Decrease In Civilian Casualties But Remains Concerned -- TOLO News

U.N. Report: More Than 8,000 Afghan Civilian Casualties So Far This Year

Afghan security forces inspect the site of a suicide attack in Kabul, Afghanistan September 9, 2018.REUTERS/Omar Sobhani

Reuters: U.N. tallies more than 8,000 Afghan civilian casualties so far this year

At least 8,050 Afghan civilians were killed or wounded in the first nine months of 2018, almost half of them targeted by suicide bomb attacks and other improvised devices that may amount to war crimes, the United Nations said on Wednesday.

The number of casualties was roughly in line with the same period a year earlier, when there were 8,084 casualties, with deaths this year rising five percent to 2,798 and injuries falling three percent to 5,252, the report from the UN Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) said.

“As there can be no military solution to the fighting in Afghanistan, the United Nations renews its call for an immediate and peaceful settlement to the conflict,” said Tadamichi Yamamoto, the top UN official in Afghanistan.

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WNU Editor: CNN is focused on civilians killed by air strikes .... Deaths of civilians spike as US, Afghan air forces pound Afghanistan (CNN). But the mass majority of civilian casualties have been due to Taliban attacks .... Quarterly Report on the Protectin of Civilians in Armed Conflict (UNAMA).

US Troops Deployment And Death Toll In Afghanistan Since 2001

US troops deployment and death toll in Afghanistan since 2001 pic.twitter.com/W48Ehj1zf3

— AFP news agency (@AFP) February 10, 2018

Afghan Army Casualties In 2016: 6,785 Afghan Security Forces Killed, 11,777 Injured

Maija Liuhto, Foreign Policy: The Walking Dead

As U.S. troops draw down, the Afghan military struggles to provide care for its countless wounded soldiers — on the battlefield and at home.

It’s a warm day in Kandahar as we wait in the parking lot of the airport on the whim of the Afghan army. We are supposed to spend three days at the Kandahar air base, in one of the most violent provinces in Afghanistan, documenting the plight of injured Afghan soldiers. In the long struggle for Afghanistan, the men of the Afghan army have borne the brunt of the fighting. But it has been an uncertain road to get here, not least because the government is reluctant to admit the extent of its own losses. Citing troop morale, the Afghan government stopped releasing official numbers years ago.

In January, the Special Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction (SIGAR), which monitors the use of U.S. funds in Afghanistan, reported that a staggering 6,785 members of Afghan security forces had been killed and 11,777 injured in 2016. With an army of around 300,000 soldiers, the losses are unsustainable. Comparatively, only 10 U.S. soldiers were killed in Afghanistan the same year. If the army were winning, these figures would be tragic but maybe justifiable. But the Taliban control more territory than at any point since 2001, and the drawdown of international troops has left Afghan forces practically alone in battle against an emboldened enemy.

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WNU Editor: I expect the 2017 numbers will be worse. Bottom line .... for any military these numbers are not sustainable over the long term.

Report: Afghan And Coalition Forces Have Killed A Number Of Civilians In Anti-Taliban Operations This Week

ABC News Online: US and Afghan troops reportedly kill 22 'human shields' in anti-Taliban operation

Afghan officials and local residents say 22 civilians, mostly women and children, were killed during a joint operation carried out by US and Afghan forces last week in the southern Helmand province.

The presidential envoy for security in Helmand, Jabar Qahraman, said the raid against Taliban insurgents in the Sangin district killed 13 people from one family and nine from another.

"We are saddened to hear the news of civilians being killed," he said.

"When the Taliban use civilians as their shield against security forces, such incidents occur."

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WNU Editor: Civilian casualties have been rising for the past year (see above video report).

More News On Reports That Afghan And Coalition Forces Have Killed A Number Of Civilians In Anti-Taliban Operations During The Past Week

Afghanistan: UN mission expresses grave concern at high civilian casualties in Helmand -- UN News Centre
A U.S. airstrike may have killed 18 civilians, 'nearly all women and children,' UN report says -- L.A. Times
Afghanistan civilian deaths may have been caused by US airstrike -- The Guardian
At least 26 civilians killed in Afghan province -- CNN
UN: Coalition air raids kill 18 civilians in Helmand -- Al Jazeera
18 civilians killed by coalition airstrikes in Afghanistan in a week – UN probe -- RT

UN Report: Civilian Casualties At Record High In Afghanistan

(Click on Image to Enlarge)

Reuters: Islamic State, air strikes help drive spike in Afghan civilian casualties: U.N.

Civilian casualties in Afghanistan rose to new highs in 2016, driven by more Islamic State attacks, the most deaths and injuries from air strikes since 2009 and a rising toll of child victims of unexploded ordnance, the United Nations said.

A total of 3,498 civilians were killed in the conflict and 7,920 were wounded in 2016, a combined increase of 3 percent over the previous year, U.N. investigators said in an annual summary issued on Monday.

"Against a backdrop of protracted ground fighting, the battlefield permeated civilian sanctuaries that should be spared from harm, with suicide attacks in mosques; targeted attacks against district centers, bazaars and residential homes; and the use of schools and hospitals for military purposes," the United Nations said.

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WNU Editor: The UN report is here.

More News On The Latest UN Report That Civilian Casualties Are At A Record High In Afghanistan

UN report says civilian casualties at record high in Afghanistan -- Fox News/WSJ
Bloody 2016 for Afghan civilians -- AFP
U.N. says civilian toll in Afghanistan is higher than ever -- Washington Post
U.N. Sees Record Spike in Civilian Children Killed in Afghanistan -- NBC
Children pay the price of Afghan conflict -- AFP
UN: More than 900 children killed in Afghanistan in 2016 -- AP

Pentagon Admits That A Battle With The Taliban Killed 33 Civilians In Afghanistan

Afghans in Kunduz protest against civilian casualties in November.

Washington Post: U.S. military says battle with Taliban killed 33 civilians in Afghanistan

KABUL — An investigation into a November firefight between Taliban insurgents and joint U.S. and Afghan forces has concluded that 33 civilians were killed in the operation, the U.S. military said Thursday.

The battle took place in northern Kunduz province, and two U.S. soldiers and three Afghan troops were also killed. The operation, in Boz Kandahari village, targeted Taliban leaders the U.S. military said were responsible for deadly incursions in the area, including a brazen assault on the provincial capital in October. The insurgents briefly captured the city’s central neighborhoods in a stunning display of strength.

“The investigation determined, regretfully, that 33 civilians were killed and 27 wounded,” a statement from U.S. forces in Afghanistan said of the November raid. It said 26 Taliban fighters, including two leaders, were also killed — a claim the villagers dispute.

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More News On The Pentagon Admitting That A Battle With The Taliban Killed 33 Civilians In Afghanistan

U.S. Military: Firefight With Taliban Caused Civilian Deaths, But Troops Acted In Self-Defense -- Reuters
U.S. Military Bombed Afghan Homes in ‘Self-Defense’ Against Taliban -- NBC
US Military: November Fight With Taliban Killed 33 Civilians -- AP
U.S. Military Acknowledges 33 Afghan Civilian Deaths In November Incident -- RFE
U.S. military inquiry finds civilians were killed in battle in northern Afghanistan -- L.A. Times
US forces admit killing 33 civilians in Taliban clash -- Al Jazeera
US Military Admits to Killing of Over 30 Afghan Civilians in Kunduz Airstrikes -- Sputnik

Death Toll Surges In Afghanistan To 30,000 War Dead In 2016

Taliban fighters posing with weapons in an undisclosed location in AfghanistanThomson Reuters

Voice of America: Officials Count Around 30,000 War Dead in Afghanistan This Year


ISLAMABAD, PAKISTAN — Hostilities in Afghanistan have left around 30,000 people dead and as many wounded, mostly insurgents, according to the latest official estimates.

As of Sunday, counter-insurgency operations conducted by Afghan police and military forces around the country had left more than 18,500 "enemy" fighters dead and wounded 12,000 more, according to defense and interior ministry officials.

Mohammad Radmanesh, the deputy defense ministry spokesman, told VOA that authorities have also captured hundreds of insurgents.

He declined to discuss casualties among the Afghan National Security and Defense Forces, or ANDSF, but admitted they "increased by more than 10 percent compared to the previous year."

ANDSF suffered around 20,000 casualties, including 5,000 deaths in 2015, according to the United States military.

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Update: Death toll surges in Afghanistan as war enters 16th year (Washington Times)

WNU Editor: I cannot help but sense that 2017 is going to be worse.

Update #2: This is an interesting read .... How Peace Between Afghanistan and the Taliban Foundered (New York Times).

Afghan Military Casualties Is Taking Its Tolls

Afghan policemen keep watch in the downtown of Kunduz city, Afghanistan October 3, 2016. REUTERS/Nasir Wakif

Washington Post: One week. Hundreds of dead and wounded. How Afghan forces are struggling with heavy casualties.

KABUL — Heavy fighting between Afghan security forces and Taliban militants is taking its toll, as large numbers of casualties across the country are pushing recently trained Afghan air medical evacuation crews to their limits.

During one week in August alone, between Aug. 22 and 29, Afghan crews recovered 125 Afghan troops killed and more than 280 wounded, according to U.S. military documents reviewed by The Washington Post on Thursday. The casualties — equating to almost 18 dead per day — were spread across 37 different locations all over the country. By comparison, the worst month for U.S. forces was August 2011, when 71 were killed.

The snapshot of the Afghan dead and wounded – tracked closely by the U.S. military – helps illustrate the staggering casualty numbers that increasingly weigh on top U.S. generals, given what they say about the state of the war in Afghanistan 15 years after American forces first toppled the Taliban and the Afghan security forces’ ability to keep fighting an entrenched insurgency.

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WNU Editor: You cannot sustain (or win) a war if you are losing your commanders and soldiers at this rate.

Afghan-Civilian Casualties Reach A Half-Year Record High

DW: Civilian deaths in Afghanistan hit new record

Civilian casualties in Afghanistan have reached a record high in the first half of this year, the United Nations says. Children are paying a heavy price as insurgent groups launch indiscriminate attacks.

Civilians are being killed and wounded in record numbers in Afghanistan, a new UN report released Monday. The release of the report comes just two days after twin blasts killed at least 80 people and injured more than 230, most of them civilians, at a peaceful political rally in Kabul.

Those casualties - claimed by the self-styled "Islamic State" - were not part of the UN's latest tally.

The report found that, between January and June, the UN documented 1,601 civilian deaths and 3,565 injured civilians. This represents an increase of 4 percent in the total number of casualties compared to the same period last year, the UN Assistance Mission in Afghanistan said.

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More News On Afghan-Civilian Casualties Reaching A Half-Year Record High

Afghan civilian casualties hit half-year record, with 5,166 dead or maimed – UN -- UN News Centre
Children bearing brunt of war in Afghanistan: UN -- AP
Civilian casualties hit record numbers this year in Afghanistan -- Washington Post
Alarming’ number of child deaths push Afghan casualties to record high -- The Guardian/AFP
UN: Civilian Casualties Record High In Afghan Conflict -- RFE
UN Report Shows Sharp Increase in Civilian Casualties in Afghanistan, Especially Among Children -- ABC News
Record Number of Civilians Killed, Maimed in Afghanistan -- VOA
Afghanistan: Surge in civilian, children death tolls -- Al Jazeera

UN Report: Civilian Deaths Down In Afghanistan But Casualties Are Up

New York Times: Civilian Casualties in Afghan War Are Unabated in 2016

KABUL, Afghanistan — With nearly 2,000 civilians killed or wounded and more than 80,000 people displaced this year already, the Afghan conflict continues to affect lives in record numbers, the United Nations said on Sunday.

The report came as fighting raged across several provinces. For a third day, government forces repelled Taliban attacks across several districts of Kunduz and were trying to prevent the insurgents from taking the provincial capital, as they did in the fall.

The United Nations mission in Afghanistan documented 600 civilian deaths and 1,343 wounded in the first three months of 2016, which by most accounts is expected to be a bloody year as the Taliban rejected the latest efforts to bring them to peace talks. While the death toll fell 13 percent from the same period last year, the number of wounded increased 11 percent, the report said, with a high rise among children.

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More news On The UN's Report that Civilian Deaths Are Down In Afghanistan But Casualties Are Up

Afghan child casualties soar as urban warfare intensifies: U.N. -- Reuters
Afghan child casualties soar as urban warfare escalates -- AFP
UN Report Afghan Civilian Deaths Down, but More Wounded -- AP
UN Reports Afghan Civilian Casualties Continue to Rise -- VOA
Civilian deaths in Afghanistan down 13 percent: UN -- DW
Rise in Afghan civilian casualties at hands of government forces -- The Guardian
Third of recent Afghan civilian casualties children -- WND

Afghan Civilian Casualties From U.S. Air-Strikes At Greatest Rate In Seven Years

Photo: USAF

Bureau of Investigative Journalism: US airstrikes in Afghanistan killing civilians at greatest rate for seven years, new figures show

The rate at which civilians are being killed by US airstrikes in Afghanistan is at its highest point since 2008, an analysis of newly published UN data reveals.

Research by the Bureau shows that on average a civilian was killed every fourth drone or jet strike in 2015 – up from one in 11 attacks the year before and the first time the casualty rate has risen since 2011. The rate was last at such levels at the height of the Afghan war in 2008.

The rates are calculated by using civilian death tolls compiled by the United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (Unama) for its annual report and from official US Air Force data on the number of strikes it carries out in the country.

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Update: US Airstrikes in Afghanistan Are Killing Civilians at Greatest Rate in Seven Years (Newsweek).

WNU Editor: These civilian casualty numbers are probably going to rise even more this year, and with the Afghan airforce now entering into service .... The U.S.-funded Afghan air force is growing. So are civilian casualties it causes (Washington Post).

UN Report: Civilian Casualties In Afghanistan Hit Record High

New York Times: Afghanistan Had Record Number of Civilian Casualties Last Year, U.N. Says

KABUL, Afghanistan — Taliban suicide attacks and a fierce battle for the northern city of Kunduz made 2015 the worst year for Afghan civilian casualties since the United Nations began tracking the data, officials said on Sunday, in a sobering reminder of the cost of the conflict at a time when the prospect of peace seems as distant as ever.

The United Nations documented 3,545 civilians killed and 7,457 injured last year, the United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan and the United Nations Human Rights Office said in a report presented at a news conference in Kabul, the Afghan capital. The total casualty figure, 11,002, was 4 percent above the 2014 level. The number of civilian injuries rose 9 percent, though there were 4 percent fewer deaths.

The statistics do not “reflect the real horror of the phenomenon we are talking about,” Nicholas Haysom, the United Nation’s secretary general’s special representative for Afghanistan, told journalists.

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WNU Editor: Here is an easy prediction .... 2016 is going to be worse.

More News On The UN Report On Civilian Casualties In Afghanistan

Afghan casualties hit record high 11,000 in 2015 – UN report -- UN News Centre
Civilian casualties in Afghanistan hit record high: U.N. -- Reuters
Afghan civilian death and injuries 'reach record high' -- BBC
Civilian injuries in Afghan war rose to highest level since 2009 -- AP
UN reports stark rise in number of Afghan civilian casualties in 2015 -- The Guardian
Afghan civilian casualties top 11 000 -- News 24
UN: Afghan Civilian Casualties Hit New High in 2015 -- VOA
Afghanistan set record for civilian casualties last year -- PBS News Hour
UN: Afghan Civilian Casualties Hit New High in 2015 -- RAWA News

Wars In Pakistan And Afghanistan Have Left 150,000 Dead

Afghan policemen carry a casualty from the blast Photo: REUTERS

CNN: War casualties in Afghanistan, Pakistan total 149,000, new study says

(CNN)Tuesday's militant attack on a group of aid workers in Afghanistan, resulting in nine deaths, is yet another instance of the enormous toll of the ongoing violence in the region.

A new study from the Costs of War project at Brown University estimates 149,000 war-related deaths, with an additional 162,000 serious injuries, in Afghanistan and Pakistan since 2001. And even these numbers don't tell the whole story, which includes significant destruction of infrastructure, displacement of people, and indirect deaths from malnutrition and disease.

Civilian casualties have been particularly high, according to the report, totaling around 26,270 deaths in Afghanistan and 21,500 in Pakistan. The study says that most of the civilian casualties in Afghanistan are caused by militant groups, but the number caused by Afghan and international forces has been increasing since 2012.

More News On A US Study That Estimates That The Wars In Pakistan And Afghanistan Have Left 150,000 Dead Since 2001

Wars in Pakistan and Afghanistan leave 150,000 dead, US study estimates -- The Guardian
Wars in Pakistan and Afghanistan Leave 150,000 Dead -- Naharnet/AFP
War in Afghanistan since 2001 has killed 100,000: Report -- AP
War in Afghanistan since 2001 has killed 100,000: Report -- RAWA News
149,000 killed due to war in Afghanistan and Pakistan since 2001 -- Khaama Press
War in Pakistan, Afghanistan since 2001 has killed 149,000: study -- Pakistan Today

UN Report: 2014 Was The Deadliest Year For Afghanistan's Civilians

Afghan security forces arrive at the site of an attack in Kunduz province October 27, 2014. Credit: Reuters/Stringer

UN News Centre: In Afghanistan’s deadliest year, civilian casualties top 10,000 in 2014: UN

Civilian casualties in Afghanistan topped 10,000 in 2014, a 22 per cent increase compared to the past year, reflecting increased ground battles between armed groups and the Government, and a drastic drawdown of Western troop presence in the country, the United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) said today.

WNU Editor: Here is an easy prediction .... 2015 is going to be far worse.

More News On The UN Report Outlining Civilian Casualties In Afghanistan

In Afghanistan's deadliest year, battles, not bombs, top killer of civilians -- Reuters
Civilian Casualties in Afghanistan Topped 10,000 in 2014 -- Time
Afghanistan civilian deaths hit highest level since 2009 -- CTV/AP
More than 10,000 Afghan civilians died or were injured last year: U.N. -- Washington Post
Afghanistan civilian casualties up 22% in 2014, UN says -- BBC
Afghan war civilian casualties reached record-high 10,000 in 2014 -- UPI
UN Sees Sharp Rise in Civilian Casualties in Afghanistan -- VOA
Civilian Casualties in Afghan War Topped 10000 in 2014, UN Says -- NYT
Civilian Deaths, Injuries in Afghanistan Soar 22 Percent: United Nations -- NBC
Civilian casualties in Afghanistan reach new record -- Deutsche Welle
2014 was the deadliest year on record in Afghanistan -- The Telegraph
UN Says Civilian Deaths and Injuries in Afghanistan Hit Record High in 2014 -- Sputnik
Record 3,699 civilian deaths in Afghanistan in 2014, says U.N. -- Global Post/EFE

Top NATO Commander: Expect More US Casualties In Afghanistan

General Philip Breedlove in Afghanistan. Facebook

Stars and Stripes: Expect more US casualties in Afghanistan, top NATO commander says

WNU Editor: This war is far from over. This is a must see .... This new graphic shows the state of the U.S. war in Afghanistan (Washington Post).

UN Report: Afghan Civilian Casualties 'Hit Record High' For 2014

Afghans lower the coffin of Afghan cameraman Zubair Hatami, who died on Saturday of injuries sustained in a Taliban attack at a French cultural centre, in Kabul December 21, 2014. Credit: REUTERS/Omar Sobhani

Record Number Of Afghan Civilians Killed In 2014, Says UN -- Deutschde Welle

The UN mission in Afghanistan has released a new report saying that the country has seen more than 3,100 civilians killed in conflict in 2014. The number is up 19 percent from last year.

The number of civilians killed and injured in Afghanistan this year was the highest ever recorded by the UN Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA), the organization said in its annual report on Saturday.

Georgette Gagnon, the human rights director of UNAMA, announced at a press conference at the UN headquarters in New York on Friday that 3,188 civilians had been killed in the first 11 months of 2014 and 6,429 were injured. The total number of Afghans killed and injured could exceed 10,000 in 2014 for the first time ever, she said.

Compared with 2013, the year 2014 also saw a 33 percent increase in the number of children that died and a 14 percent rise in that of women.

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More News On The UN Report On Afghan Civilian Casualties 'Hitting A Record High' For 2014

'Suffering an enormous human cost', civilian casualties up nearly 20 per cent in 2014 – UN -- UN News Centre
Afghan civilian casualties 'hit record high' -- Al Jazeera
UN: 2014 to be deadliest ever for Afghan civilians -- Stars and Stripes
UN Says Afghan Civilian Casualties Hit Record High -- Radio Free Europe
Afghan civilian casualties, injuries to reach 10,000 in 2014 – UN -- RT
UN Urging Taliban to Reduce Afghan Civilian Casualties -- New York Times
UN in talks with Afghan Taliban to reduce civilian casualties -- Zee News

Update: The Taliban have a different point of view .... Afghan Taliban decry 'biased' U.N. report on civilian casualties (Reuters).

U.S. General: Afghan Forces Are Suffering Unsustainable Casualty Rates

Photo: Army Lt. Gen. Joseph Anderson, commander of the International Security Assistance Force Joint Command in Afghanistan. DoD photo

Afghan Casualties On Battlefield At Unsustainably High Level: U.S. General -- Reuters

(Reuters) - More than 4,600 Afghan troops have been killed in the war against the Taliban this year, a 6.5 percent jump over last year and an unsustainably high figure that underscores the need for better medical evacuation, a top U.S. general said on Wednesday.

Lieutenant General Joseph Anderson, a top commander of coalition forces in Afghanistan, said 4,634 Afghan security personnel were killed in action this year, compared with 4,350 in 2013, despite a 25 percent dip in Taliban attacks from 24,000 to 18,000 over the same period.

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More News On U.S. General Joseph Anderson's Comments That Afghan Forces Are Suffering Unsustainable Casualty Rates

Afghan troop deaths up; called 'unsustainable' -- AP
Mounting death toll for Afghan troops: US general -- AFP
Afghan forces’ casualties ‘not sustainable,’ U.S. commander says -- Washington Post
U.S. General: Afghan Forces' Death Toll 'Unsustainable' -- Radio Free Europe
Afghan Forces Winning Despite Rise In Casualties: ISAF Joint Command Chief -- RTT News
Afghan forces suffer unsustainable casualty rates -- USA Today
US commander: Afghan casualties ‘not sustainable’ -- Stars and Stripes
9,000 Afghan Security Forces Killed in Combat During Last Two Years -- ABC News
Afghan Forces Winning, ISAF Joint Command Chief Says -- US Department of Defense
As End Looms, US Warns Afghan Troops Taking ‘Unsustainable’ Casualties -- Defense One

UN Report: Afghanistan Civilian Casualties Hit Record High

UN: Afghanistan Civilian Casualties Hit Record High -- Voice of America

GENEVA — A new United Nations report finds a record number of civilians have been killed and injured in Afghanistan in the first half of this year.

The report blames most of the 24 percent increase in civilian casualties on the Taliban.

It attributes the worsening situation for civilians to the changing nature of conflict in Afghanistan, saying ground combat among the warring parties has now surpassed improvised explosive devices as the leading cause of conflict-related death and injury to Afghan civilians.

The report finds ground engagements and crossfire are hitting children and women with unprecedented force.

Read more ....

More News On The UN Report That Outlines Afghan Civilian Casualties Hitting A Record High

Afghanistan: Ground combat taking ‘devastating’ civilian toll, says UN, reporting sharp rise in casualties -- UN News Centre
Afghanistan's war takes heavy civilian toll, says United Nations report -- The Guardian
UN: Afghan civilian deaths rise as foreign troops prepare to leave -- Al Jazeera
UN: Afghanistan civilian casualty toll 'up by a quarter' -- BBC
UN: Afghan civilian death toll up 17 percent -- AP
Afghan Civilian Casualties Rise as IEDs Disappear -- Military.com
5 reasons the new Afghan civilian casualty report is awful -- Dan Lamothe, Washington Post
U.N.: Civilians Feel Toll of Afghan War as U.S. Withdrawal Nears -- Time
Afghan civilian deaths hit 4,853 -- The Peninsula

WNU Editor: The UN report on Afghan civilian casualties is here.