SIGAR Reports Afghan Forces’ Casualties ‘Shockingly High’

Afghan security forces suffered “shockingly high” casualties in this winter fighting the Taliban and other insurgents, the Special Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction (SIGAR) said.

According to SIGAR, 807 troops from the Afghan National Defense and Security Forces died between January 1 and February 24.

“Afghanistan remains in the grip of a deadly war. Casualties suffered by (ANDSF) in the fight against the Taliban and other insurgents continue to be shockingly high,” the report said.

The report cited U.S. figures showing a gain in territory under Afghan government control, now at 59.7 percent of the country’s 407 districts, up from 57.2 percent in mid-November of last year.

That represents an 800,000-person increase in the population under Afghan government control, it said.

The report noted figures from the UN Assistance Mission in Afghanistan that said 11,418 civilian casualties were reported in 2016, up 3 percent from the previous year and the highest since such figures have been tallied since 2009.

Of the civilian casualties, 3,498 were deaths, it said.

The SIGAR report also found that both Afghan government and anti-government groups slightly increased the amount of territory they held, as the number of areas previously considered “contested” dropped.

By: Zack Arya