Afghanistan Casualties: Military Forces
and Civilians
Susan G. Chesser
Information Research Specialist
December 8, 2010
Congressional Research Service
7-5700
www.crs.gov
R41084
CRS Report for Congress
P
repared for Members and Committees of Congress

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Afghanistan Casualties: Military Forces and Civilians

Summary
This report collects statistics from a variety of sources on casualties sustained during Operation
Enduring Freedom (OEF), which began on October 7, 2001, and is ongoing. OEF actions take
place primarily in Afghanistan; however, OEF casualties also includes American casualties in
Pakistan, Uzbekistan, Guantanamo Bay (Cuba), Djibouti, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Jordan, Kenya,
Kyrgyzstan, the Philippines, Seychelles, Sudan, Tajikistan, Turkey, and Yemen.
Casualty data of U.S. military forces are compiled by the U.S. Department of Defense (DOD), as
tallied from the agency’s press releases. Also included are statistics on those wounded but not
killed. Statistics may be revised as circumstances are investigated and as records are processed
through the U.S. military’s casualty system. More frequent updates are available at DOD’s
website at http://www.defenselink.mil/news/ under “Casualty Update.”
A detailed casualty summary of U.S. military forces that includes data on deaths by cause, as well
as statistics on soldiers wounded in action, is available at the following DOD website:
http://siadapp.dmdc.osd.mil/personnel/CASUALTY/castop.htm.
NATO’s International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) does not post casualty statistics of the
military forces of partner countries on the ISAF website at http://www.isaf.nato.int/. ISAF press
releases state that it is ISAF policy to defer to the relevant national authorities to provide notice of
any fatality. For this reason, this report uses fatality data of coalition forces as compiled by
CNN.com and posted online at http://www.cnn.com/SPECIALS/2004/oef.casualties/index.html.
The United Nations Assistance Mission to Afghanistan (UNAMA) reports casualty data of
Afghan civilians semiannually, and the U.S. Department of Defense occasionally includes civilian
casualty figures within its reports on Afghanistan. From July 2009 through April 2010, the
Special Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction (SIGAR) included statistics of
casualties of members of the Afghan National Army and Afghan National Police in its quarterly
reports to Congress. SIGAR has ceased this practice, and there is no other published compilation
of these statistics. This report now derives casualty figures of Afghan soldiers and police from the
press accounts of the Reuters “Factbox: Security Developments in Afghanistan” series and the
Pajhwok Afghan News agency. Both services attribute their reported information to officials of
the NATO-led ISAF or local Afghan officials. Pajhwok Afghan News frequently concludes its
accounts with statements from representatives of the Taliban, however, these figures are not
included in this report.
Because the estimates of Afghan casualties contained in this report are based on varying time
periods and have been created using different methodologies, readers should exercise caution
when using them and should look to them as guideposts rather than as statements of fact.
This report will be updated as needed.

Congressional Research Service

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Afghanistan Casualties: Military Forces and Civilians

he following tables present data on U.S. military casualties in Operation Enduring
Freedom, deaths of coalition partners in Afghanistan, and Afghan casualties, respectively.
T Table 1. Operation Enduring Freedom, U.S. Fatalities and Wounded
as of December 6, 2010, 10 a.m. EST from October 7, 2001
Fatalities In
Fatalities in
and Around
Other
Total

Afghanistana
Locationsb
Fatalitiesc
Wounded in Action
Hostiled 1,079
11
1,090


Non-Hostilee 234 83 317


Total 1,313
94
1,407
Total
9,583
Source: U.S. Department of Defense, http://www.defense.gov/news/casualty.pdf.
a. “Fatalities in and around Afghanistan” includes casualties that occurred in Afghanistan, Pakistan, and
Uzbekistan.
b. “Other locations” includes casualties that occurred in Guantanamo Bay (Cuba), Djibouti, Eritrea, Ethiopia,
Jordan, Kenya, Kyrgyzstan, the Philippines, Seychel es, Sudan, Tajikistan, Turkey, and Yemen.
c. Fatalities include two Department of Defense civilian personnel.
d. According to the Department of Defense Dictionary of Military and Associated Terms, as amended through
31 August 2005, a “hostile casualty” is a victim of a terrorist activity or a casualty as the result of combat
or attack by any force against U.S. forces, available at http://handle.dtic.mil/100.2/ADA43918.
e. The above-named reference defines a “nonhostile casualty” as a casualty that is not directly attributable to
hostile action or terrorist activity, such as casualties due to the elements, self-inflicted wounds, or combat
fatigue.
Table 2. American Casualties by Year through December 6, 2010
Year
Total Deaths
Total Wounded in Action
2001 11
33
2002 49
74
2003 45
99
2004 52 214
2005 98 267
2006 98 401
2007 117 752
2008 155 793
2009 311 2,139
2010 through December 6
471
4,811
Source: U.S. Department of Defense, Statistical Information Analysis Division, http://siadapp.dmdc.osd.mil/
personnel/CASUALTY/oefmonth.pdf.
Congressional Research Service
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Afghanistan Casualties: Military Forces and Civilians

Table 3. Deaths of Coalition Partners in Afghanistan
Country
# of Deaths
Country
# of Deaths
Australia 21
Lithuania
1
Belgium 1
Netherlands
24
Canada 154
New
Zealand
2
Czech Republic
3
Norway
9
Denmark 39
Poland
23
Estonia 8
Portugal 2
Finland 1
Romania 17
France 49
South
Korea
1
Georgia 5
Spain
30
Germany 44
Sweden

4
Hungary 4
Turkey
2
Italy 31
United
Kingdom
345
Latvia 4


Total Non-U.S. Coalition Fatalities
824
Sources: CNN Casualties in Afghanistan, http://www.cnn.com/SPECIALS/war.casualties/table.afghanistan.html;
Canada’s Department of National Defence, http://www.forces.gc.ca/site/news-nouvelles/fallen-disparus/index-
eng.asp; United Kingdom Ministry of Defense, http://www.mod.uk/DefenceInternet/FactSheets/
OperationsFactsheets/OperationsInAfghanistanBritishFatalities.htm; Australia’s Department of Defence,
http://www.defence.gov.au/op/afghanistan/info/personnel.htm; “Factbox: Military Deaths in Afghanistan,” Reuters
News, September 28, 2010.
Table 4. Afghan Casualties
Group
Period
# of Casualties
Note
Afghan Civilians
January 1, 2010-
1,634 killed
In the third quarter of 2010, 90% of
September 30, 2010a
civilian deaths and injuries were caused
2,809 injured
by anti-Government elements, which
includes the Taliban as well as other
individuals or groups who engage in
armed conflict with the Government
of Afghanistan or members of the
International Military Forces.
2009b 2,412
killed
67% of civilian deaths were attributed
to actions of anti-Government
3,566 injured
elements (78% of these deaths were
caused by improvised explosive
devices and suicide attacks).
25% of civilian deaths were attributed
to pro-Government forces.
8% of civilian deaths were the result of
cross-fire or improperly detonated
ordnance.
2008c 2,118
killed

2007c
1,523 killed

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Afghanistan Casualties: Military Forces and Civilians

Group
Period
# of Casualties
Note
Afghan National Army
January 1 - November 30,
314 killed

2010d
737 wounded
2009e 292
killed

859 wounded
2008f 259
killed

875 wounded
2007f 278
killed

750 wounded
Afghan National Police
January 1 – November 30,
401 killed

2010g
728 wounded
2009h 639
killed

1,145 wounded
2008i 724
killed

1,209 wounded
2007i 688
killed

1,036 wounded
Sources: Compiled by the Congressional Research Service from noted sources.
a. United Nations Assistance Mission to Afghanistan, Human Rights Unit, Afghanistan: Mid-Year Report on
Protection of Civilians in Armed Conflict, 2010, August 10, 2010, p. i, http://unama.unmissions.org/Portals/
UNAMA/Publication/August102010_MID-
YEAR%20REPORT%202010_Protection%20of%20Civilians%20in%20Armed%20Conflict.pdf; U.S.
Department of Defense, Report on Progress Toward Security and Stability in Afghanistan, November 2010, p.
56, http://www.defense.gov/pubs/November_1230_Report_FINAL.pdf.
b. United Nations Assistance Mission to Afghanistan, Human Rights Unit, Afghanistan: Annual Report on
Protection of Civilians in Armed Conflict, 2009, January 2010, p. I, http://unama.unmissions.org/Portals/
UNAMA/human%20rights/Protection%20of%20Civilian%202009%20report%20English.pdf.
c. United Nations Assistance Mission to Afghanistan, Human Rights Unit, Afghanistan: Annual Report on
Protection of Civilians in Armed Conflict, 2008, January 2009, p. 12, http://unama.unmissions.org/Portals/
UNAMA/human%20rights/UNAMA_09february-Annual%20Report_PoC%202008_FINAL_11Feb09.pdf.
d. Special Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction, Quarterly Report to the United States Congress,
April 30, 2010, p. 58, http://www.sigar.mil/pdf/quarterlyreports/Apr2010/SIGARapril_Lores.pdf; response
via e-mail from the staff of the Special Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction, August 9, 2010;
and press reports from Reuters and the Pajhwok Afghan News agency.
e. Special Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction, Quarterly Report to the United States Congress,
July 30, 2009, p. 55. http://www.sigar.mil/pdf/quarterlyreports/Jul09/pdf/Report_-_July_2009.pdf; Quarterly
Report to the United States Congress, October 30, 2009, p. 62, http://www.sigar.mil/pdf/quarterlyreports/
Oct09/pdf/SIGAROct2009Web.pdf; and Special Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction,
Quarterly Report to the United States Congress, January 30, 2010, p. 64, http://www.sigar.mil/pdf/
quarterlyreports/jan2010/pdf/SIGAR_Jan2010.pdf.
f.
Special Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction, Quarterly Report to the United States Congress,
July 30, 2009, p. 55, http://www.sigar.mil/pdf/quarterlyreports/Jul09/pdf/Report_-_July_2009.pdf.
g. Special Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction, Quarterly Report to the United States Congress,
April 30, 2010, p. 64, http://www.sigar.mil/pdf/quarterlyreports/Apr2010/SIGARapril_Lores.pdf; response
via e-mail from the staff of the Special Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction, August 9, 2010;
and press reports from Reuters and the Pajhwok Afghan News agency.
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Afghanistan Casualties: Military Forces and Civilians

h. Special Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction, Quarterly Report to the United States Congress,
July 30, 2009, p. 60, http://www.sigar.mil/pdf/quarterlyreports/Jul09/pdf/Report_-_July_2009.pdf; Quarterly
Report to the United States Congress, October 30, 2009, p. 66, http://www.sigar.mil/pdf/quarterlyreports/
Oct09/pdf/SIGAROct2009Web.pdf; and Special Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction,
Quarterly Report to the United States Congress, January 30, 2010, p. 69, http://www.sigar.mil/pdf/
quarterlyreports/jan2010/pdf/SIGAR_Jan2010.pdf.
i.
Special Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction, Quarterly Report to the United States Congress,
July 30, 2009, p. 60, http://www.sigar.mil/pdf/quarterlyreports/Jul09/pdf/Report_-_July_2009.pdf.

Author Contact Information

Susan G. Chesser

Information Research Specialist
schesser@crs.loc.gov, 7-9547


Congressional Research Service
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