Afghanistan: Reported US covert actions 2018
The timeline below contains information on all US air attacks on Afghanistan recorded by the Bureau in 2018. It is updated with the latest US air attacks. We also log Afghan Air Force attacks when they are reported. The Bureau collects information on the US and Afghan strikes and the people they kill from local and international media reports – including the Bureau’s own field investigations – as well as academics and NGOs that cite US, Afghan and Pakistani civil, military and intelligence officials, and witnesses and local people in the affected areas.
Please note that our data changes according to our current understanding of particular strikes. The information below represents our present best estimate.
Background
US aircraft have been bombing Afghanistan since late 2001 and the airstrikes have continued into the Trump administration. Up until December 2014 the US was operating in concert with its allies in the Nato-led International Security Assistance Force. Now it is just the US, and the Afghans, flying strike missions in the country.
The Bureau began tracking the strikes from January 1 2015 onwards, when the US and Nato’s combat mission in Afghanistan came to an end. The Afghan military and police took the lead in fighting the Taliban with the US and its international partners moving into a non-combat “train, advise, assist” role, supporting local forces.
US air forces are still flying combat missions however. There are three targeting authorities that govern the kind of strikes the US can conduct in Afghanistan.
Force protection strikes are intended to protect friendly ground forces who are under attack, or are about to be attacked. From January 1 2015 the US was supposed to stop deliberately going after the Taliban, leaving that to the Afghans. But in June 2016, with the Taliban pushing the Afghan forces to breaking point, the US went on the offensive against the Taliban, under “strategic effect” strikes.
The third authority governs the US’s counter-terrorism strikes, part of its offensive operations against al Qaeda and, since January 2016, Afghanistan’s Islamic State offshoot.
Full data
The Bureau publishes a narrative timeline of US strikes in Pakistan, Afghanistan, Somalia and Yemen each year. Links for all other timelines can be found here.
We also publish spreadsheets detailing casualty numbers in each country. You can download the entire Afghanistan sheet here.
| Strikes recorded by the Bureau | |
|---|---|
| Total reported strikes | 1985-1986 |
| Total reported killed | 767-1060 |
| Civilians reported killed | 92-163 |
| Children reported killed | 14-51 |
| Total reported injured | 106-166 |
| Total Close Air Support (CAS) sorties with at least one weapon release | 783 |
| Total CAS sorties | 6,584 |
| Total weapons released | 5982 |
Strikes Page 16
A key commander linked to the Pakistan Taliban (TTP) has reportedly been killed in a US drone strike in Afghanistan.
Afghan Defense Ministry Spokesperson Mohammad Radmanish told VOA that the attack occurred next to the border with Pakistan in Afghanistan's Kunar province.
Radmanish did not give the name of the commander allegedly killed, but local media has reported that Omar Rehman, known as Ustad Fateh, could be among the dead. The Daily Times reported that sources said Rehman was scheduled to visit the house of Ahmad Swati, described as a TTP leader, when the US drone fired two missiles on the building at 10am local time.
Rehman is said to be the TTP's operational commander, according to VOA, who also reported he had been in line as a possible replacement to Mullah Fazlullah (see entry AFG476). The TTP leadership council however did not select Rehman.
"The United States unrelentingly continues its counterterrorism efforts against IS-K , al-Qaida, and other regional and international terrorist groups," a US military spokesman told VOA when asked for a confirmation of the attack.
We will update this post when more information comes to light.
- Type of strike: US air or drone strikes
- Location: Kunar province
- References: VOA, The Daily Times
At least six members of an unspecified militant group were killed during airstrikes along the highway between Kabul and Jalalabad, the Afghan Ministry of Defense has said.
It was not clear whether US or Afghan forces carried out the strikes. It was also to clear when the strikes took place, but Khaama Press reported them on July 2.
- Type of strike: Possible US strike
- Location: Kabul-Jalalabad highway
- References: Khaama Press
A US drone strike killed two non-Afghan nationals belonging to Afghanistan's branch of Islamic State in Nangarhar province, according to Provincial Police Spokesperson Hazrat Hussain Mashraqiwal.
It targeted a "hideout" belonging to the group, he said.
- Type of strike: US air and drone strike
- Location: Payin, Chaparhar district, Nangarhar province
- References: Afghan Islamic Press via BBC monitoring
One civilian was killed in a US airstrike in Farah, according to a report released by the Department of Defense (DoD).
The information was released in DoD's annual report on civilian harm.
No other details are currently known.
- Type of strike: US air or drone strike
- Location: Farah province
- References: DoD annual report on civilian harm
US forces conducted more than 20 strikes targeting "selective Taliban irreconcilables" in Ghazni, Helmand and Uruzgan provinces in support of a nationwide Afghan-led offensive, according to a press release from Resolute Support.
The strikes took place on June 30, which marked the end of the ceasefire. More details on the ceasefire can be found in the entry below.
A US military spokesperson defined "Taliban irreconcilables" as "Taliban members who refuse to listen to the Afghan peoples' calls for them to take the courageous step towards peace and reconciliation."
There were no details on casualties arising from these strikes.
- Type of strike: US air or drone strikes
- Location: Ghazni, Helmand and Uruzgan provinces
- References: Resolute Support press release, US military spokesperson via email
The US has carried out over 80 strikes against Afghanistan's branch of Islamic State since June 11, according to Air Force Brig. Gen. Lance R. Bunch in a press briefing on June 27.
The comment was made in relation to a question on strikes since the start of a ceasefire with the Taliban. The Afghan leader announced the ceasefire in line with the holy celebration of Eid al-Fitr. The Taliban also announced a three-day halt to hostilities which did not extend to international forces who had agreed to abide by the ceasefire. After the holiday, President Ghani extended it, but the Taliban did not. During the ceasefire, the US was still permitted to continue strikes against other groups.
"We have conducted strikes against ISIS-K during this timeframe, around -- a little over 80 of those strikes, as we continue to do counterterrorism operations against ISIS-K, who is not part of the cease-fire," Brig. Gen. Bunch said. These, he said, were mainly carried out by manned aircraft and not drones.
Some of these strikes were carried out in support of Afghan special forces preventing attempts by the group in Nangarhar's Gurgoray and Deh Bala to establish a caliphate. The Afghan special forces put four companies of commandos on the ground there, which Brig. Gen. Bunch said was the single largest deployment of commandos on the battlefield ever in a joint special operations type of an operation. "And, of course, ISIS-K did -- was unable to establish a caliphate there," he added.
- Type of strike: US air or drone strikes
- Location: Afghanistan
- References: Department of Defence press briefing transcript
US forces killed at least six members of Afghanistan's Islamic State in strike on the group's "hideouts" in Nangarhar province, the provincial government media office has said.
It was not clear when the strike took place, although Khaama Press reported it on June 25.
The Bureau only includes strikes from named Afghan sources. This strike is recorded here as a possible US strike for now.
- Type of strike: Possible US strike
- Location: Haska Mena district, Nangarhar province
- References: Khaama Press
An Afghan official has said civilians were among people killed in a US drone strike in Nuristan province on the night on June 25.
Hafiz Abdul Qayum, the governor of the province, said six civilians were killed alongside five Taliban insurgents. Qayum said the villagers and Taliban members had gathered to visit an injured insurgent when the house they were in was targeted.
However, a US spokesperson said US forces did not carry out a strike in the province on June 25. In a statement emailed to the Bureau, Lt. Col. Martin O’Donnell, a spokesperson for US Forces-Afghanistan, continued:
"We have, however, received reports of insurgent-caused civilian casualties in two separate insurgent attacks in eastern Afghanistan, Monday - a mortar attack on a medical clinic in Andar district, Ghazni province that killed a pharmacist and injured clinic staff, and a suicide attack that targeted a gathering of local police and civilians in Sawkai (Chawkay) district, Kunar province, killing and injuring an unknown number of both. These deplorable acts by the enemies of Afghanistan further demonstrate their disregard for the Afghan people, whose calls for peace and an extension to the cease-fire were rejected yesterday by the Taliban."
We have recored this as a possible US strike to reflect the contradictory statements on the incident.
- Type of strike: Possible US strike
- Location: Waygal district, Nuristan province
- References: Associated Press, US Forces - Afghanistan via email
US drone strikes in Kunar province killed at least nine people, including members of militant group Lashkar e Tayyiba, according to Khaama Press.
The 201st Silab Corps reportedly said a drone strike hit Qaro area of Watapur district killing five fighters. Abdul Ghani Musami, spokesperson for Kunar province's governor, said four fighters were killed in Suki district.
However none of these can be added to our database. The sourcing for the first strike does not meet our methodology's threshold. While the sourcing for a separate strike included in the reporting did, we could not be sure the strike didn't hit members of Afghanistan's branch of Islamic State. The US released figures on strikes against the group over a time period which covers these strikes. Those have been added to our database and we cannot be sure this isn't one of them (see entry above).
- Type of strike: Possible US strike
- Location: Kunar province
- References: Khaama Press
The Afghan Ministry of Defence said at least 17 members of Islamic State were killed during ground operations and air strikes in Nangarhar and Kunar provinces.
It was not clear whether Afghan or US forces carried out the strikes, or where they hit and how many people they killed. It was not clear when the strikes took place but they was reported on June 21.
- Type of strike: Possible US strike
- Location: Khogyani district, Nangarhar province
- References: Khaama Press
At least three members of Afghanistan's branch of Islamic State were killed in a strike in Nangarhar province, according to the Afghan Ministry of Defence, but it was not clear whether Afghan or US forces carried out the strike.
A "weapons and munitions depot" was reportedly destroyed in the attack.
It was not clear when the strike took place but it was reported on June 15.
- Type of strike: Possible US strike
- Location: Achin district, Nangarhar province
- References: Khaama Press
US forces carried out a strike targeting a "senior leader of a designated terrorist organisation" in Afghanistan's eastern Kunar province, a spokesperson from US Forces - Afghanistan has said.
An anonymous US military official said that they believed the target to be Pakistan Taliban (TTP) chief Maulana Fazlullah but could not say whether he had died, however Afghan and Pakistani officials have said he was killed in the strike.
Mohammad Radmanish, spokesperson for Afghan defence ministry, said two more insurgents were killed in the strike, which he said took place in the border area of Kunar's Marawera district. Pakistani intelligence officials told New York Times that four other senior commanders were also killed.
The statement from the US military did not say what group the leader targeted belonged to but stressed that US forces were continuing to adhere to a cease-fire which Afghanistan has agreed with the Afghan Taliban. They have also not commented on the results of the strike.
In March, the US offered a $5 million reward for information on Fazlullah. His profile on the Rewards for Justice website reads:
Since being appointed by the group’s central shura council in November 2013, Fazlullah has organized and directed several TTP attacks against Pakistani interests and has publicly blamed the United States for military operations against the group.
In December 2014, Fazlullah’s operatives carried out the most lethal terrorist attack in Pakistani history when its operatives killed 151 people, including more than 130 children, during an attack against the Army Public School in Peshawar, Pakistan.
In 2012, Fazlullah ordered the failed assassination of Pakistani schoolgirl Malala Yousafzai who promoted girls’ right to education and publicly criticized Fazlullah and the TTP.
Fazlullah's inclusion on the website came the same month his son was reportedly killed in a US drone strike on a TTP facility also in Kunar. It is believed he frequented the facility.
The New York Times wrote that Fazlullah took the leadership of the main branch of the TTP in November 2013, as the group began splintering following increasing pressure from the military. He took up the position a week after Hakimullah Mehsud, the organisation’s previous leader, was killed in a drone strike in the North Waziristan region of Pakistan.
The Guardian wrote: "Fazlullah rose to fame as “FM Mullah”, broadcasting vituperative calls for jihad from his radio station. His followers introduced a brutal form of sharia law during the two-year TTP insurgency in the Swat valley, killing dancers and DVD-shop owners."
- Type of strike: US air or drone strike
- Location: Kunar province
- References: New York Times, AFP, VOA, Reuters, Rewards for Justice, Guardian
AFG486Cii link
10 June 2018
The Afghan Taliban claimed US planes attacked their Voice of Shariah radio station in Ghazni province, but the US denied the allegation saying two Afghan aircraft conducted a strike on a Taliban broadcasting tower and not a radio station.
A spokesman for Resolute Support mission said the Taliban statement “speaks volumes with regards to the capabilities” of the Afghan air force.
- Type of strike: Possible US strike
- Location: Ghazni Province
- References: Reuters
At least six members of Afghanistan's branch of Islamic State were killed in US drone strikes in Nangarhar province, according to Khaama Press.
Their information came from the 201st Silab Corps, which is part of the Afghan army. However, the Bureau includes only strikes reported by named Afghan sources, or named and unnamed US sources, in its spreadsheet. We have recorded here as a possible US strike.
- Type of strike: Possible US strike
- Location: Deh Bala district, Nangarhar province
- References: Khaama Press
A US strike killed four Taliban fighters including a local commander in Maidan Wardak province, according to Khaama Press. A further two were injured.
Their information came from the 203rd Thunder Corps, which is part of the Afghan army. However the Bureau only includes strikes from named Afghan sources. This strike is recorded here as a possible US strike for now.
The date of the strike was not clear, although it was reported on June 6.
- Type of strike: Possible US strike
- Location: Nerkh district, Maidan Wardak province
- References: Pajhwok
Thirteen Taliban insurgents were reportedly killed in a US strike in Logar province, according to Police Spokesperson Shapoor Ahmadzai.
The strike reportedly targeted a meeting and the dead included a commander, who Ahmadzai identified as Mullah Siddiqullah.
A resident of the area told Pajhwok that the air strike led to heavy casualties.
The Taliban denied that any fighters died in the attack.
- Type of strike: US air or drone strike
- Location: Alozo area, Pul e Alam district, Logar province
- References: Pajhwok
One civilian was injured in a US airstrike in Logar, according to a report released by the Department of Defense (DoD).
The information was released in DoD's annual report on civilian casualties.
No further details are currently known.
- Type of strike: US air or drone strike
- Location: Farah province
- References: DoD annual report on civilian harm
At least nine members of Afghanistan's branch of Islamic State were killed when an air strike hit a compound they were in, according to Khaama Press.
Their information came from a statement from the Nangarhar government media office, the district the strike reportedly took place in. However it was not clear whether US or Afghan forces carried out it out.
The strike is recorded here as a possible US strike.
- Type of strike: Possible US strike
- Location: Gorgori area, Haska Mena district, Nangarhar province
- References: Khaama Press
Two civilians were injured and another killed in a US airstrike in Nangarhar, according to a report released by the Department of Defense (DoD).
There had been previous reports of civilian casualties in a district in Nangarhar province, but there was a lack of clarity over how they occurred.
Attaullah Khogyani, the provincial governor’s spokesperson, reported the civilian casualties. Pajhwok reported that he said a "foreign force" air strike had killed 17 Islamic State members, and also killed one civilian and injured a further four. The US is the only country aside Afghanistan flying strike missions.
However, Xinhua reported Khogyani saying the casualties had raised from clashes between the Afghan government and Afghanistan's branch of Islamic State. More detail on the civilian casualties was given, with Khogyani saying an elderly man was killed and four children were wounded in the clashes, while woman was still missing.
In the Pajhwok report, a resident said a strike led to "heavy" civilian casualties.
There had been reports of a strike also killing 17 members of Afghanistan's branch of Islamic State in the same district. This was reported to have occurred two days before and is recorded in the entry below.
- Type of strike: Possible US strike
- Location: Haska Mena district, Nangarhar province
- References: Pajhwok, Xinhua, DoD annual report on civilian casualties
At least 17 members of Afghanistan's branch of Islamic State were killed in a US strike in Nangarhar province, according to a statement from the 201st Silab Corps, part of the Afghan army, and the provincial government media office.
However the Bureau only includes strikes from named Afghan sources. This in recorded here as a possible strike for now.
TOLO News said the strike took place in Deh Bala district while Khaama press said it occured in Haska Mena district. Deh Bala however seems to be another name for Haska Mena.
- Type of strike: Possible US strike
- Location: Haska Mena district, Nangarhar province
- References: Khaama Press, TOLO News
Anadolu Agency reported that Afghanistan's Radio Azadi, part of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, said a US drone strike killed three policemen and seven Taliban insurgents late on May 28 in Uruzgan province.
At the time, we could not add this strike to our database due to vague sourcing. However, Khaama Press published an article a day later during which a provincial council member also reported the deaths of thee policemen and seven Taliban members.
Hayatullah Fazli, the council member, said a drone fired two missiles, one of which hit a police checkpoint and the other which hit another checkpoint where insurgents had taken position. The US is the only country known to be flying armed drones in Afghanistan.
We have reached out to the US for comment on this.
- Type of strike: Possible US strike
- Location: Chora district, Uruzgan province
- References: Anadolu Agency, Khaama Press
A US drone strike in Nangarhar province killed eleven members of Afghanistan's branch of Islamic State, according to Provincial Police Spokesperson Hazrat Hussain Mashraqiwal.
A further two members of the group were allegedly injured and three of their vehicles destroyed.
It was not clear when the strike was carried out, but it was reported on May 28.
- Type of strike: US air and drone strike
- Location: Ghulam Dag, Chaparhar district, Nangarhar province
- References: Pajhwok, Khaama Press
Six members of the Taliban have been killed in a US drone strike in Paktia province, Police Spokesperson Sardar Wali Tabasum told Pajhwok News.
The strike hit a house where some Taliban insurgents had gathered, the spokesperson said.
Abdullah Hasrat, the governor's spokesperson, confirmed the strike. He said a further five members of the group had been injured.
An unnamed local resident said two members of the house were also among the dead. It was not clear whether they were civilians or not.
The date of the strike was not clear, but it was reported on May 27.
- Type of strike: US air and drone strike
- Location: Kohsen area, Syed Karm district, Paktia province
- References: Pajhwok
A drone strike killed a "senior improvised explosive device facilitator", according to a US forces -Afghanistan press release.
According to the release, the person killed had been "coordinating improvised explosive device operations against Afghan National Defense and Security Forces, international forces and the people of Afghanistan for the last 13 years".
The attack was one of a series carried out over a ten-day period which the US has said killed more than 70 senior Taliban leaders. While the exact location of this strike was not clear, it seems the series was carried out in the province of Helmand.
The military specified the use of a MQ-1C Gray Eagle, a drone. In the recent battle for Farah, the use of a drones was also specifically mentioned. It is not very common for the US to specify the use of a drone to carry out strikes.
- Type of strike: US air and drone strike
- Location: Helmand province
- References: US Forces Afghanistan press release via email
US Air Force A-10s also killed a shadow district governor and destroyed a shadow district headquarters in Nahr e Saraj, according to a US forces - Afghanistan press release.
The attack was one of a series carried out over a ten-day period which the US has said killed more than 70 senior Taliban leaders.
“These strikes represent one of the largest blows to Taliban leadership in the last year,” said US Army General John Nicholson, US Forces - Afghanistan and Resolute Support commander. “The cumulative effects of which will be felt nationwide for quite some time.”
- Type of strike: US air and drone strike
- Location: Nahr e Saraj district, Helmand province
- References: US Forces Afghanistan press release via email
A US drone strike killed three members of the Taliban on the night of May 25, according to Lieutenant Colonel Aqa Sherin Faqiri, a spokesperson for a division of the Afghan army.
A statement from the Afghan Ministry of Defence said one of the dead was Gul Ahmand Sangari, described as a Taliban military chief. Pajhwok News, who reported the strike, said Sangari had planned and conducted attacks, stormed checkpoints and planted mines.
However, the MoD said the strike was carried out by Afghan forces. The statement reportedly said Sangari, along with two other fighters, was targeted while trying to flee the area.
We have recorded this here as a possible US strike due to the above.
US Air Force A-10s struck a Taliban Red Unit commander for Helmand and an associate while they were travelling in Sangin district, according to a US Forces - Afghanistan press release.
The attack was one of a series carried out over a ten-day period which the US has said killed more than 70 senior Taliban leaders.
“These strikes represent one of the largest blows to Taliban leadership in the last year,” said US Army General John Nicholson, US Forces - Afghanistan and Resolute Support commander. “The cumulative effects of which will be felt nationwide for quite some time.”
- Type of strike: US air and drone strike
- Location: Sangin district, Helmand province
- References: US Forces Afghanistan press release via email
AFG477 link
24 May 2018
Reports surfaced of a US strike hitting Faizabad City, close to government offices and civilian homes, and another taking place close to the centre of a nearby district. The strikes sparked criticisms from local officials and residents.
“The Resolute Support aircrafts bombarded both Faizabad City and Kishm district centres. One bomb landed close to Jolghar area which is near the provincial police headquarters and other landed close to centre of Kishm district," Abdullah Naji Nazari, a member of Badakhshan Provincial Council, told TOLO News. "No doubt, it created fear among residents of Faizabad City and Kishm district."
Badakhshan Governor Ahmad Faisal Begzad claimed Resolute Support officials said the strikes were a mistake. “The foreign forces should support our security forces but what happened yesterday [May 24] was a mistake which has been admitted by them in which they dropped bombs in the outskirts of Faizabad City and the outskirts of Kishm district’s center,” he told TOLO. “We asked them to be accurate in their operations.” The US is the only known foreign country to be flying strike missions in Afghanistan.
No details were given on casualties, civilian or otherwise.
This entry records the strike reported in Kishm district. The strike reported in Faizabad is in the entry below.
- Type of strike: US air and drone strike
- Location: Kishm district, Badakhshan province
- References: TOLO News
AFG476 link
24 May 2018
Reports surfaced of a US strike hitting Faizabad City, close to government offices and civilian homes, and another taking place close to the centre of a nearby district. The strikes sparked criticisms from local officials and residents.
“The Resolute Support aircrafts bombarded both Faizabad City and Kishm district centres. One bomb landed close to Jolghar area which is near the provincial police headquarters and other landed close to center of Kishm district," Abdullah Naji Nazari, a member of Badakhshan Provincial Council, told TOLO News. "No doubt, it created fear among residents of Faizabad City and Kishm district."
Badakhshan Governor Ahmad Faisal Begzad claimed Resolute Support officials said the strikes were a mistake. “The foreign forces should support our security forces but what happened yesterday [May 24] was a mistake which has been admitted by them in which they dropped bombs in the outskirts of Faizabad City and the outskirts of Kishm district’s center,” he told TOLO. “We asked them to be accurate in their operations.” The US is the only known foreign country to be flying strike missions in Afghanistan.
Residents in Faizabad expressed anger. “We were leaving the mosque in the evening prayer when we heard a loud voice and I saw that people were shouting,” said Gada Mohammad. Another resident said, “The airstrike damaged civilian houses. Why government and US forces do not target the Taliban in Wardooj [district]? Why they conducted the airstrike here?”
There have been no reports of civilian casualties or other casualties arising from the strikes as yet.
This entry records to the strike in Faizabad.
- Type of strike: US air and drone strike
- Location: Faizabad City, Badakhshan province
- References: TOLO News
The US military has said it hit “a command and control node for high-level Taliban leaders” in Helmand province.
The strike occurred during a high-level meeting of Taliban commanders, according to a later statement. This resulted in 50 casualties, with "the deputy shadow governor of Helmand, multiple Taliban district governors, intelligence commanders and key provincial-level leadership from Kandahar, Kunduz, Herat, Farah, Uruzgan and Helmand provinces" among the dead.
The Taliban have claimed, according to FDD's Long War Journal, that two civilian homes were destroyed in the strike and denied a command centre had been hit. It was unclear if they said any civilians had been killed.
The site was hit by a ground-based rocket artillery strike using the HIMARS, described by the Long War Journal as a "truck mounted multiple launch rocket platform".
“These strikes represent one of the largest blows to Taliban leadership in the last year,” said US Army General John Nicholson, referring to a series of strikes which included this one. “The cumulative effects of which will be felt nationwide for quite some time.”
Still from video of strike shared by the US military
- Type of strike: US air and drone strike
- Location: Musa Qala district, Helmand province
- References: US Forces - Afghanistan press release via email, FDD's Long War Journal, US Forces - Afghanistan press release via email
Six Taliban insurgents including a key commander were killed in strikes in Kunduz province, the provincial government spokesperson has said. However, it was not clear if Afghan or US forces carried out the strike.
"Acting upon intelligence report, the security forces aircrafts targeted a Taliban hideout in Kunjak area of Imam Sahib district early Wednesday, killing six rebels including notorious commander Mullah Karim Mukhlis on the spot," Spokesperson Sunatullah Timuri told Xinhua.
We have recorded it here as a possible US strike due to the lack of clarity over who carried it out.
- Type of strike: Possible US strike
- Location: Pushtrod district, Farah province
- References: Xinhua
One civilian was injured in a US airstrike in Helmand province, according to a report released by the Department of Defense (DoD).
The information was released in DoD's annual report on civilian casualties.
No further details are currently known.
- Type of strike: US air or drone strike
- Location: Helmand province
- References: DoD annual report on civilian casualties
Afghan news sites reported the death of a Taliban commander in a strike in Farah province, but it was not clear whether US or Afghan forces carried out the strike. The name of the commander also differed in the reporting.
Khaama Press said the commander killed was called Mullah Din Mohammad, while Pajhwok identified him as Mulavi Khalid. The former said a further three fighters were killed, while this was not mentioned by Pajhwok. Both reported the strike hit in Pushtrod district. Khaama Press' information was based on an Afghan Ministry of Defence statement, while Pajhwok spoke to a provincial council member and a local resident.
None of the reporting specified whether the strike was carried out by Afghan or US forces.
While Khaama Press did not give a date for the strike, Pajhwok said the strike occurred on May 20.
- Type of strike: Possible US strike
- Location: Pushtrod district, Farah province
- References: Pajhwok, Khaama Press
At least two members of Afghanistan branch of Islamic State were killed in a US drone strike, Khaama Press reported. They were reportedly snipers for the group.
Khaama Press said it's information came from a provincial government media office statement. However the Bureau only includes strikes from named Afghan sources. This in recorded here as a possible strike for now.
- Type of strike: Possible US strike
- Location: Gagar area, Haska Mena district, Nangarhar province
- References: Khaama Press
US and Afghan aircraft hit Taliban positions in Farah city after insurgents launched a major attempt to capture the provincial capital.
"Both Afghan A-29s and Mi-17s have conducted multiple strikes. US forces have conducted one drone strike (MQ-9) and a show-of-force with A-10s. Dozens of Taliban killed," US Spokesperson Lt Col Martin O'Donnell told AFP on May 15. "Afghans remain in lead."
The next day, Lt Col O'Donnell said additional drone strikes had been carried out throughout the night and Afghan forces were still in the lead.
Residents told Reuters that Taliban forces began their attack around 0200 (local time) on May 15 from several directions. One senior official said the situation was serious early in the day, with the provincial governor leaving the city as insurgents overrun several areas.
However, Afghan ground troops, backed by US and Afghan air strikes, launched a counter-attack pushing the Taliban back.
US Forces - Afghanistan put out a video showing what seemed to be a compilation of different strikes targeting people. While the US has recently put out videos showing buildings being destroyed in Afghanistan, it has rarely shared videos which clearly show individuals being targeted. The text accompanying it said: "On 15 May 2018, US airstrikes eliminated 28 Taliban fighters in Farah province, Afghanistan".
According to a statement by Afghan Ministry of Defence, the Afghan security forces response to the Taliban attempt to capture Farah left at least 198 fighters dead.
A US spokesperson told the Bureau six drone strikes had taken place during the Farah battle. We recorded seven strikes in total. The remaining strike refers to the use of A-10s, but we do not have exact figures. We will update this post when more information comes to light.
We have included a death toll of 28 on account of the statement accompanying the US Forces - Afghanistan video.
- Type of strike: US air and drone strikes
- Location: Farah city, Farah province
- References: AFP, AFP, Reuters, Khaama Press, Resolute Support press release via email, US Forces - Afghanistan via Twitter
In the Khaama Press report on the possible US strike in Nangarhar recorded below, it also mentioned a "similar" airstrike in a different district in the province. This one reportedly killed a member of Afghanistan's branch of Islamic State.
The Bureau only includes strikes from named Afghan sources. This in recorded here as a possible strike for now. It was also not clear when it took place, but Khaama Press reported it on May 13.
- Type of strike: Possible US strike
- Location: Ali Khel area, Pacher Agam district, Nangarhar province
- References: Khaama Press
At least five members of Afghanistan's branch of Islamic State were killed in a US drone strike in Nangarhar province, Khaama Press reported. One of the dead was allegedly a commander of the group.
Their information came from a statement by the provincial government media office. The Bureau only includes strikes from named Afghan sources. This in recorded here as a possible strike for now.
It was not clear when the strike took place, but it was reported on May 13.
- Type of strike: Possible US strike
- Location: Nari Oba area, Haska Mena district, Nangarhar province
- References: Khaama Press
An Afghan military statement reported by Xinhua said a coalition drone strike killed three members of Islamic State.
"An unmanned plane of coalition struck an IS fighters' hideout in Papeen locality, Dih Bala district, Nangarhar province on Sunday [May 13}, killing three IS militants," the statement said.
The US is the only country known to be flying strike missions in Afghanistan, aside from the Afghans.
The Bureau only includes strikes from named Afghan sources. This in recorded here as a possible strike for now.
- Type of strike: Possible US strike
- Location: Papeen locality, Deh Bala district, Nangarhar province
- References: Xinhua
One civilian was killed in a US ground operation in Kunar province, according to a report released by the Department of Defense (DoD).
The information was released in DoD's annual report on civilian casualties.
No further details are currently known.
- Type of strike: US ground operation
- Location: Kunar province
- References: DoD annual report on civilian casualties
An estimated 35 Taliban insurgents were killed in a US strike in Paktia province's Zazi Aryub district, a local official said.
"US aircraft targeted a number of Taliban hideouts in the Surgol area of this district on the night from 9 to 10 May," Captain Abdollah, the spokesperson for the Afghan army's 1st infantry in Paktia, told Afghan Islamic Press.
- Type of strike: US air or drone strike
- Location: Surgol area, Zazi Aryub district, Paktia province'
- References: Afghan Islamic Press via BBC Monitoring
Six members of the Afghan Local Police were killed in an air strike in Badghis province, local officials said, although they did not say whether Afghan or US forces carried out the strike.
Farid Akhizi, a provincial council member, said the strike mistakenly hit the local police, who were not wearing uniforms. The attack occurred at around 11am local time.
A US spokesperson later confirmed that the strike was carried out by US forces. The spokesperson said that while the Afghan National Army Corps, Afghan National Police Zone commander and a National Directorate of Security chief said the individuals killed were members of the ALP, their location, the fact they were dressed in civilian clothes and their actions towards an Afghan patrol indicated a possible connection to "enemies of Afghanistan".
The US is looking into the incident, it said.
- Type of strike: Possible US strike
- Location: Sanga Khair area, Maqur district, Badghis province
- References: Pajhwok, US forces - Afghanistan via email
One civilian was killed in a US airstrike in Wardak province, according to a report released by the Department of Defense (DoD).
The information was released in DoD's annual report on civilian casualties.
No further details are currently known.
- Type of strike: US air or drone strike
- Location: Wardak province
- References: DoD annual report on civilian casualties
At least five militants members of Afghanistan's branch of Islamic State were killed in US drone strikes in Nangarhar province, Khaama Press reported.
Khaama Press said it's information came from local officials and a provincial government media office statement. However the Bureau only includes strikes from named Afghan sources. This in recorded here as a possible strike for now.
- Type of strike: Possible US strike
- Location: Haska Mena district, Nangarhar province
- References: Khaama Press
A series of strikes hit Badakhshan province, according to the Afghan Ministry of Defence, but it was not clear whether Afghan or US forces carried them out.
Four militants belonging to unspecified group were allegedly killed in the strikes and two others wounded.
The date of the strikes was also not clear, but they were reported on May 2.
- Type of strike: Possible US strike
- Location: Tashkan district, Badakhshan province
- References: Khaama Press
At least nine Taliban insurgents were killed and 12 others injured in a Afghan Air Force strikes in Uruzgan province, Afghan military officials reportedly told Khaama Press.
The strikes hit in the vicinity of Tarin Kot city, the capital of the province.
The date of the strikes was not clear, but they were reported on May 1.
- Type of strike: AAF strike
- Location: Tarin Kot, Uruzgan province
- References: Khaama Press
Confusing reporting stemmed from a strike in Helmand province, with some reports of civilian casualties.
Most sources, aside from the Taliban, say the strike was carried out by Afghan forces, including Afghan officials.
Mir Ahmad, a provincial council member, told Washington Post that six civilians were killed in the strike targeting Taliban fighters. Ahmad also told Afghan Islamic Press that he received a report from the province's Kopka village that a house had been completely destroyed in the attack and a nearby mosque was damaged. Twenty people were reportedly killed, ten of which were not identifiable. The people providing the report said they did not know who was living in the house, but reportedly claimed civilians were among them, he said.
Someone described as a 'social council member', which could refer to the same person that Washington Post and AIP spoke to, told Pajhwok a mosque had been hit in Kofki area of Nad Ali district. There were at least 23 casualties, he said, although it was not clear how many of these were civilians. He said people had been praying when fighters entered the mosque and the strike was launched.
Omar Zwak, spokesperson for the provincial governor, confirmed the strike, but said all those killed were Taliban members. A spokesperson for a 215th Maiwand Military Corps, a division of the Afghan army, said six insurgents had been killed.
The Taliban reportedly claimed eight civilians had been killed and 15 others wounded in the air strike, which they said was carried out by US forces and hit a mosque.
- Type of strike: AAF strike
- Location: Nad Ali district, Helmand province
- References: Washington Post, Pajhwok, Afghan Islamic Press via BBC monitoring
Army officials were reported in Radio Pakistan saying US air strikes in Balkh province killed 35 Taliban members and injured at further 40.
The sourcing was too vague to include this in our database but we have recorded it here as a possible strike. The date was also not clear, but the strikes were reported on April 29.
In the reporting, another strike was said to have killed 17 members of Afghanistan's branch of Islamic State in Nangarhar. It could be referring to the strike we have recorded above.
- Type of strike: Possible US strike
- Location: Balkh province
- References: Radio Pakistan
A US drone strike in Nangarhar province killed at least 15 members of Afghanistan's branch of Islamic State, according to a statement from a division of the Afghan army reported by Geo TV.
The Bureau only includes strikes reported by named Afghan sources, or named and unnamed US sources, in our spreadsheet. This will therefor be recorded here as a possible strike.
Air strikes in Afghanistan's Nangarhar province reportedly killed at least two al Qaeda members, Khaama Press reported, but it was not clear whether these were Afghan or US strikes.
We have not included this strike in our database on account of this ambiguity, and also vague sourcing. It was also not clear when they took place, but they were reported on April 24.
- Type of strike: Possible US strike
- Location: Shirzad district, Nangarhar province
- References: Khaama Press
Local officials told Khaama Press that a US drone strike hit a gathering of "key" militants in Laghman province.
The morning strike killed "at least three senior members of Taliban leader Saqib", according to Khaama. What this means is not entirely clear. Those killed were identified as Rauf, Shadi Gul and Kazim. A further two were injured, it said.
The Bureau only includes strikes reported by named Afghan sources, or named and unnamed US sources, in our spreadsheet. This will therefor be recorded here as a possible strike.
- Type of strike: Possible US strike
- Location: Alisheng district, Laghman province
- References: Khaama Press
