Afghanistan Times
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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 50 pro-government forces and 19 civilians were killed in Afghanistan during the past week. The deadliest attack took place in Oruzgan Province, where the Taliban ambushed the police headquarters of Shahid Hasas District with two stolen Humvees packed with explosives. After the initial assault, insurgents entered the compound to target surviving officers. At least 11 soldiers and eight police officers were killed and six police officers were wounded. There are fears that the Taliban will soon capture the district center. Separately, a convoy of American forces was targeted by a car bomb in Kabul City, reportedly wounding four Americans. Four Afghan civilians were killed in the explosion. In Kabul, there were three bombings within 24 hours mostly targeting civilians. Seven civilians were killed and dozens were wounded.
June 6 Ghor Province: one soldier killed
Fawad Andarabi, the commander of an army battalion in western Afghanistan, was killed in a Taliban attack in the Somak area of Dawlatyar District. Andarabi was leading an operation in the area to clear Taliban.
June 5 Paktia Province: one commando killed
An Afghan commando was taken prisoner by the Taliban in Ahmadkhail District while he was visiting his family during Eid holidays. He was killed the same day by insurgents.
June 5 Logar Province: four civilians killed
A roadside bomb hit a vehicle in Daber area of Charkh District, killing two women and two men. The bomb was planted by the Taliban, according to local officials.
June 4 Baghlan Province: one civilian killed
An explosive attached to a motorcycle went off in the district of Nahrin while people were leaving a mosque after the Eid prayer, killing one civilian and wounding seven others.
June 3 Kabul City: five civilians killed
An explosive attached to a shuttle bus transporting government employees went off in Darul Aman area of Kabul, killing five civilians and wounding 10 others.
June 2 Kabul City: two civilians killed
Two civilians were killed and 24 others were wounded in three back to back explosions in Khoshhal Khan area of Kabul City. The first explosion was caused by an explosive attached to a students’ shuttle bus, killing a child who was a street vendor, and wounding 10 civilians. Then two other bombs exploded in the same area, killing a civilian and wounding 14 people. Two journalists who went to cover the first explosion were also among those wounded.
June 2 Kunduz Province: one police officer killed
The Taliban attacked a security outpost in Madrasa area of Ali Abad District, killing one local police officer and wounding two others in two hours of fighting. The Taliban fled the area after reinforcements arrived.
June 2 Wardak Province: three civilians killed
The Taliban opened fire on a vehicle in Jalrez District, along the highway connecting Kabul to Bamyan Province. Three civilians were killed and two others were wounded. Civilians have been targeted by the Taliban on the highway before.
June 1 Baghlan Province: nine police officers killed
The Taliban attacked and captured a military base in Tapa-e-Pashai-e-Ha village in Pul-i-Khumri City, the provincial capital, after an hour of fighting.
Nine local police officers were killed and seven others were wounded in the clashes. The Taliban seized all weapons and equipment from the base.
June 1 Herat Province: six soldiers killed
The Taliban attacked army outposts in the Joy Qazi area of Shindand District, killing six soldiers and wounding 13 others in several hours of fighting. Reinforcements never arrived despite many calls for backup. Insurgent were eventually pushed back by Afghan security forces, despite heavy casualties.
June 1 Jowzjan Province: one pro-government militia member killed
The Taliban attacked the center of Qarqin District from three directions in a coordinated assault that lasted for five hours. One pro-government militia member was killed and two others were wounded in the clashes.
June 1 Sar-i-Pul Province: one police officer killed
The Taliban attacked a security outpost in Sang-e-Toda area of Sar-i-Pul City, the provincial capital, killing one local police officer and wounding two others in nearly three hours of battle.
June 1 Ghazni Province: five police officers killed
A car bomb targeted the entrance of a police reserve unit in Ghazni City, killing five police officers and wounding seven police officers and four civilians.
May 31 Herat Province: six soldiers killed
The Taliban attacked security outposts in the Rubat area between Aobe and Pashtun Zarghon districts, killing six soldiers and wounding 10 others. The Taliban were equipped with sniper rifles and night-vision goggles, despite many calls for backup, reinforcements never arrived.
May 31 Kabul City: four civilians killed
A convoy of American forces was targeted by a car bomb in Qala-e-Wazir area of Kabul City, the capital, reportedly wounding four Americans. Four Afghan civilians were killed and three others were wounded in the explosion.
May 31 Oruzgan Province: 19 security forces killed
The Taliban attacked a police headquarters in Shahid Hasas District with two stolen Humvees packed with explosives. After the initial assault, a group of armed attackers entered the compound to kill survivors. At least 19 members of the security forces were killed, including 11 soldiers and eight police officers. Six police officers were wounded. An American airstrike targeted insurgents close to the district center, but they continue to have a presence there, and there are fears the Taliban will soon capture the district.
Reporting was contributed by the following New York Times reporters: Fatima Faizi from Kabul, Najim Rahim from Mazar-e-Sharif, Mohammad Saber from Herat, Taimoor Shah from Kandahar, and Farooq Jan Mangal from Khost.
