This is a partial list of Afghan security forces killed in the

War in Afghanistan (2001–2021) The War in Afghanistan was an armed conflict that began when an international military coalition led by the United States launched an invasion of Afghanistan, toppling the Taliban-ruled Islamic Emirate and establishing the internationally r ...

. Besides serving as an indicator of some of the numbers of

policemen A police officer (also called a policeman and, less commonly, a policewoman) is a warranted law employee of a police force. In most countries, "police officer" is a generic term not specifying a particular rank. In some, the use of the ...

, soldiers and

private military contractors A private military company (PMC) or private military and security company (PMSC) is a private company providing armed combat or security services for financial gain. PMCs refer to their personnel as "security contractors" or "private military ...

(PMCs) deaths during specific time periods, this article allows readers to investigate the circumstances of those deaths by reading the citation articles. By mid-October 2009, overall it was confirmed that more than 5,500 soldiers and policemen were killed since the start of the war. In early March 2014, the number was updated to 13,729. Another 16,511 soldiers and policemen were wounded. Among the dead were 4,551 soldiers who died by 20 March 2013. The number of soldiers killed was updated to 6,835 by September 20, 2014. Based on the numbers below, in the Afghan Defense and Interior Ministry section figures, by December 31, 2014, 21,008 soldiers and policemen had been killed since June 2002. According to Neta C. Crawford, a Professor of

Political Science Political science is the scientific study of politics. It is a social science dealing with systems of governance and power, and the analysis of political activities, political thought, political behavior, and associated constitutions and la ...

Boston University Boston University (BU) is a Private university, private research university in Boston, Massachusetts. The university is nonsectarian, but has a historical affiliation with the United Methodist Church. It was founded in 1839 by Methodists with ...

and Co-Director of the

Costs of War Project The Costs of War Project is a nonpartisan research project based at the Watson Institute for International and Public Affairs at Brown University that seeks to document the direct and indirect human and financial costs of U.S. wars in Iraq and ...

, an estimated 23,470 security forces members, including 14,200 policemen and 7,750 soldiers, had been killed since the start of the war until the end of 2014. Additionally, 28,529 policemen and soldiers were reported killed in the period between January 2015 and mid-November 2018, but this was later revised to over 45,000 fatalities for the period between the end of September 2014 and late January 2019.Afghanistan's Ghani says 45,000 security personnel killed since 2014
/ref> The Turkish

Anadolu Agency Anadolu Agency ( tr, Anadolu Ajansı, ; abbreviated AA) is a state-run news agency headquartered in Ankara, Turkey. History The Anadolu Agency was founded in 1920 during the Turkish War of Independence by the order of Mustafa Kemal Ataturk. As ...

reported that, according to declassified figures, an estimated 7,000 Afghan security forces were killed during 2019.2019 begins, ends with bloodshed in Afghanistan
/ref> Additionally, between 29 February and 21 July 2020, about 3,560 soldiers were killed.Afghan Government: Over 3,500 Troops Killed Since US-Taliban Agreement
/ref> Crawford also presented a new updated estimate of 66,000–69,000 dead for the whole war, up to April 2021, and 69,095 dead by August 2021. In addition, right after the end of the war, Afghan general Sami Sadat confirmed 66,000 troops were killed during the 20 years of conflict.

Afghan security forces losses confirmed by time periods

Yearly totals per the Afghan Defense and Interior Ministry

2015–19

2002–14

''Note: Most of these annual numbers are per the Afghan calendar which starts on March 21 of the Gregorian calendar.''

Yearly totals per the Brookings Institution

Afghan police losses before the start of official records

2006

In 2006, in addition to the overall above-mentioned total, 49 policemen were reported killed and four policemen were

missing in action Missing in action (MIA) is a casualty classification assigned to combatants, military chaplains, combat medics, and prisoners of war who are reported missing during wartime or ceasefire. They may have been killed, wounded, captured, ex ...

. * January ** January 3 - One policeman was killed in

Zabul province Zabul (Pashto/Dari: ) is one of the 34 provinces of Afghanistan, located in the south of the country. It has a population of 249,000. Zabul became an independent province from neighbouring Kandahar in 1963. Historically, it was part of the Za ...

. ** January 5 - A

suicide bomber A suicide attack is any violent attack, usually entailing the attacker detonating an explosive, where the attacker has accepted their own death as a direct result of the attacking method used. Suicide attacks have occurred throughout histor ...

killed three policemen along with seven

civilian Civilians under international humanitarian law are "persons who are not members of the armed forces" and they are not " combatants if they carry arms openly and respect the laws and customs of war". It is slightly different from a non-combatant ...

s in

Oruzgan province Uruzgan (Dari), also spelled as Urozgan or Oruzgan, is one of the thirty-four provinces of Afghanistan. Uruzgan is located in the center of the country. The population is 436,079, and the province is mostly a tribal society. Tarinkot serves as th ...

. ** January 27 - A

roadside bomb An improvised explosive device (IED) is a bomb constructed and deployed in ways other than in conventional military action. It may be constructed of conventional military explosives, such as an artillery shell, attached to a detonating mechan ...

killed two policemen in

Helmand province Helmand (Pashto/Dari: ; ), also known as Hillmand, in ancient times, as Hermand and Hethumand, is one of the 34 provinces of Afghanistan, in the south of the country. It is the largest province by area, covering area. The province contains 13 ...

. * February ** February 3 - Fighting in the

Musa Qala district Musa Qala is a district in the north of Helmand Province, Afghanistan.Nauzad district of Helmand province left one policeman dead. ** February 5 - A roadside bomb killed six policemen in

Kandahar province Kandahār ( ps, ; Kandahār, prs, ; ''Qandahār'') is one of the thirty-four provinces of Afghanistan, located in the southern part of the country, sharing a border with Pakistan, to the south. It is surrounded by Helmand in the west, Uruzga ...

. ** February 7 - A powerful bomb exploded outside the police headquarters in

Kandahar Kandahar (; Kandahār, , Qandahār) is a city in Afghanistan, located in the south of the country on the Arghandab River, at an elevation of . It is Afghanistan's second largest city after Kabul, with a population of about 614,118. It is the c ...

killing seven policemen and six civilians. ** February 13 - Three policemen were killed when their checkpoint was attacked in

Helmand Helmand (Pashto/Dari: ; ), also known as Hillmand, in ancient times, as Hermand and Hethumand, is one of the 34 provinces of Afghanistan, in the south of the country. It is the largest province by area, covering area. The province contains 13 ...

province. ** February 15 - A bomb blast left one policeman dead. ** February 16 - A clash killed one policeman in Nimroz province. ** February 18 -

Taliban The Taliban (; ps, طالبان, ṭālibān, lit=students or 'seekers'), which also refers to itself by its state name, the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan, is a Deobandi Islamic fundamentalist, militant Islamist, jihadist, and Pasht ...

militants attacked a police post in Helmand province killing three policemen. * March ** March 12 - Various Taliban attacks in the country left three policemen. ** March 17 - Various Taliban attacks in the country left 10 policemen dead. ** March 19 - A Taliban attack on a police post in Kandahar province left two policemen dead and four missing.

2005

In 2005, in addition to the overall above-mentioned totals, 42 policemen were reported killed. * May ** May 30 - Four policemen were killed in an attack on a police station in

. * August ** August 2 -

militants attacked a police checkpoint in

Nuristan Nuristan, also spelled as Nurestan or Nooristan (Dari: ; Kamkata-vari: ), is one of the 34 provinces of Afghanistan, located in the eastern part of the country. It is divided into seven districts and is Afghanistan's least populous province, wi ...

province killing four policemen. ** August 17 - A roadside bomb killed one policeman in Kandahar province. ** August 21 - A roadside bomb killed two policemen in Zabul province. ** August 22 - A roadside bomb killed two policemen in Oruzgan province. ** August 31 - Militants kidnapped David Addison, a British

engineer Engineers, as practitioners of engineering, are professionals who invent, design, analyze, build and test machines, complex systems, structures, gadgets and materials to fulfill functional objectives and requirements while considering the limit ...

, and his interpreter after an attack in western Afghanistan that left at least three policemen dead. Addison’s body was found September 3. * September ** September 4 - Various Taliban attacks in the country left eight policemen dead. ** September 17 - A Taliban attack in Kabul killed three policemen. ** September 18 - Fighting in the east of the country left two policemen dead. ** September 26 - A roadside bomb killed two policemen in Helmand province. ** September 28 - A land mine killed two policemen in Kunar province. * October ** October 23 - Nine policemen were killed in an

ambush An ambush is a long-established military tactic in which a combatant uses an advantage of concealment or the element of surprise to attack unsuspecting enemy combatants from concealed positions, such as among dense underbrush or behind mo ...

in Helmand province.

Afghan private security guard losses

2013 * March 1 – Seven PMCs were killed by a roadside bomb in Konar province. 2009 * February 5 – Six PMCs, guarding the governor of

Musa Qala ; "Fortress of Moses") is a town and the district centre of Musa Qala District in Helmand Province, Afghanistan. It is located at and at an altitude of 1,043 m in the valley of Musa Qala River in the central western part of the district. Its pop ...

district, were killed by a roadside bomb in Helmand province. * March 19 – Three PMCs, guarding an Afghan

lawmaker A legislator (also known as a deputy or lawmaker) is a person who writes and passes laws, especially someone who is a member of a legislature. Legislators are often elected by the people of the state. Legislatures may be supra-national (for ex ...

, were killed by a roadside bomb in Helmand province. The lawmaker and a senior policeman were also killed. * April 1 – Ten people were killed, including one PMC, in a Taliban attack on a provincial council building in

. * April 20 – One PMC was killed by a roadside bomb in Oruzgan province. * April 25 – Three PMCs were killed by suicide bombers targeting the governor's offices in Kandahar province. * April 26 – Two PMCs were killed in a Taliban attack. * May 2 - One PMC was killed along with an American PMC in a Taliban attack. * May 4 – Various Taliban attacks in the country killed nine PMCs. * May 28 – Four PMCs were killed in an ambush in

Herat province Herat ( Persian: ) is one of the thirty-four provinces of Afghanistan, located in the north-western part of the country. Together with Badghis, Farah, and Ghor provinces, it makes up the north-western region of Afghanistan. Its primary city a ...

. * June 1 – 10 PMCs were killed in an ambush in

Farah province Farah (Dari: , ''Farā'') is one of the 34 provinces of Afghanistan, located in the southwestern part of the country next to Iran. It is a spacious and sparsely populated province, divided into eleven districts and contains hundreds of villages. ...

. * June 2 – 10 PMCs were killed in an ambush in

Paktia province Paktia (Pashto/Dari: – ''Paktyā'') is one of the 34 provinces of Afghanistan, located in the east of the country. Forming part of the larger Loya Paktia region, Paktia Province is divided into 15 districts and has a population of roughly ...

. * June 5 – One PMC was killed in fighting in

Khost province Khost ( Pashto/ Dari: ) is one of the 34 provinces of Afghanistan, located in the southeastern part of the country. Khost consists of thirteen districts and the city of Khost serves as the capital of the province. To the east, Khost Province is ...

. * June 6 – Three PMCs were killed in an ambush in Nimroz province. * June 7 – Four PMCs were killed in an ambush in

Paktika Paktika (Pashto/Dari: ) is one of the 34 provinces of Afghanistan, located in the eastern part of the country. Forming part of the larger Loya Paktia region, Paktika has a population of about 789,000, mostly ethnic Pashtuns. The town of Sharana ...

province. * July 11 - Various Taliban attacks in the country killed five PMCs. * June 12 - Four PMCs were killed in a Taliban attack. * June 13 - Nine PMCs were killed by a suicide bomber in Helmand province. * June 28 - One PMC was killed in an ambush of a logistics convoy in Andar. * July 2 - Four PMCs were killed by a roadside bomb in Khost province. * July 12 - Four PMCs were killed in an ambush in

Ghazni province Ghazni (Dari: ) is one of the 34 provinces of Afghanistan, located in southeastern Afghanistan. The province contains 19 districts, encompassing over a thousand villages and roughly 1.3 million people, making it the 5th most populous province. Th ...

. * July 14 - Three PMCs were killed by a roadside bomb in Helmand province. * July 25 - Three PMCs were killed by a landmine in Helmand province. * July 28 - Various Taliban attacks in the country killed nine PMCs. * July 30 - Four PMCs were killed by a roadside bomb in Helmand province. * August 4 - Three PMCs were killed in an accidental explosion in Ghazni province. * September 12 - Six PMCs were killed when Taliban fighters attacked their offices in Kunar province. * October 2 - A PMC was killed by another South African PMC in Helmand province. * October 5 - Two PMCs, guarding a businessman, were killed in Kabul. * October 9 - Six PMCs were killed by a suicide bomber in Paktia province. * November 16 - Four PMCs were killed when Taliban fighters attacked a bridge construction project in Kunduz province. 2008 * January 14 – An attack by Taliban

commando Royal Marines from 40 Commando on patrol in the Sangin">40_Commando.html" ;"title="Royal Marines from 40 Commando">Royal Marines from 40 Commando on patrol in the Sangin area of Afghanistan are pictured A commando is a combatant, or operativ ...

s on a popular

luxury hotel A hotel is an establishment that provides paid lodging on a short-term basis. Facilities provided inside a hotel room may range from a modest-quality mattress in a small room to large suites with bigger, higher-quality beds, a dresser, a ref ...

Kabul Kabul (; ps, , ; , ) is the capital and largest city of Afghanistan. Located in the eastern half of the country, it is also a municipality, forming part of the Kabul Province; it is administratively divided into 22 municipal districts. Acco ...

left six people dead, including two PMCs. * February 23 – Seven PMCs were killed by a roadside bomb. * April 8 – 18 PMCs were killed when militants attacked them in Zabul province. * July 7 – Six PMCs were killed in a Taliban attack. * July 18 – Various Taliban attacks in the country killed seven PMCs.
/ref> * July 21 – Four PMCs were killed when their food convoy was ambushed. * August 17 - Nine PMCs were killed when a

NATO The North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO, ; french: Organisation du traité de l'Atlantique nord, ), also called the North Atlantic Alliance, is an intergovernmental military alliance between 30 member states – 28 European and two No ...

supply convoy was ambushed. * September 12 - Five PMCs were killed and three were captured when a convoy transporting logistics for

troops was ambushed in Farah province. * September 21 - Two PMCs were killed in a Taliban attack. * September 25 - 11 PMCs were killed when Taliban militants attacked

India India, officially the Republic of India (Hindi: ), is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by area, the second-most populous country, and the most populous democracy in the world. Bounded by the Indian Ocean on the so ...

n workers constructing a

dam A dam is a barrier that stops or restricts the flow of surface water or underground streams. Reservoirs created by dams not only suppress floods but also provide water for activities such as irrigation, human consumption, industrial use ...

in Herat province. * October 10 - Two PMCs were killed in an ambush in Farah province. * October 26 - 24 PMCs were killed in a NATO air strike in

Ghazni Ghazni ( prs, غزنی, ps, غزني), historically known as Ghaznain () or Ghazna (), also transliterated as Ghuznee, and anciently known as Alexandria in Opiana ( gr, Αλεξάνδρεια Ωπιανή), is a city in southeastern Afghanistan ...

province. * November 30 - One PMC was killed by a roadside bomb in Kandahar province. * December 28 - One PMC was killed in a Taliban attack. 2007 * February 7 - Three PMCs were killed when an explosive-packed

motorcycle A motorcycle (motorbike, bike, or trike (if three-wheeled)) is a two or three-wheeled motor vehicle steered by a handlebar. Motorcycle design varies greatly to suit a range of different purposes: long-distance travel, commuting, cruising ...

exploded in Kandahar province. * March 23 - 15 PMCs were killed and four were missing when a convoy transporting logistics for NATO troops was ambushed in Shahwalikot district of Kandahar province. * April 15 - A suicide bomber killed four PMCs in

Spin Boldak district Spin Boldak is a district in the eastern part of Kandahar Province, Afghanistan. It borders Daman District to the west, Arghistan District to the north, Qila Abdullah District of Pakistan to the east and Shorabak District to the south. The popula ...

of Kandahar province. * April 25 - Three PMCs were killed when Taliban fighters stormed a

road construction A road is a linear way for the conveyance of traffic that mostly has an improved surface for use by vehicles (motorized and non-motorized) and pedestrians. Unlike streets, the main function of roads is transportation. There are many types of ...

company site near the main

highway A highway is any public or private road or other public way on land. It is used for major roads, but also includes other public roads and public tracks. In some areas of the United States, it is used as an equivalent term to controlled-acces ...

between Kabul and Kandahar. * May 17 - A roadside bomb struck the vehicle of a private security company in Kandahar killing four PMCs. * May 30 - A roadside bomb struck the vehicle of a private security company in the province of Helmand killing two PMCs. * July 16 - A suicide bomber killed one PMC in Kandahar. * July 18 - In Loghar, near Kabul, a shooting attack occurred near an office which gives security advice; the attack left a PMC and his driver working for a

non-governmental organisation A non-governmental organization (NGO) or non-governmental organisation (see spelling differences) is an organization that generally is formed independent from government. They are typically nonprofit entities, and many of them are active in ...

dead. * July 21 - Four PMCs were killed in an ambush in Farah province. * July 30 - Taliban militants killed 10 PMCs in the south of the country. * August 18 - A suicide bomber killed four PMCs in Kandahar along with 11 civilians. * August 22 - A suicide bomber killed one PMC in Khost. * August 23 - 10 PMCs were killed when a convoy transporting logistics for NATO troops was ambushed in Zabul province. * September 3 - A

landmine A land mine is an explosive weapon, explosive device concealed under or on the ground and designed to destroy or disable enemy targets, ranging from combatants to vehicles and tanks, as they pass over or near it. Such a device is typically d ...

explosion killed six PMCs in Kunar province. * September 20 - Militants killed one PMC in Zabul province. * September 23 - Three PMCs were accidentally killed by U.S. soldiers. Three other PMCs were captured in a Taliban attack. * September 30 - Militants killed one PMC in Ghazni province. * December 18 - Taliban militants killed 15 PMC's in an ambush near the town of Bala Boluk in the province of Farah. * December 30 - Taliban militants killed six PMCs in an ambush on their convoy on Afghanistan's main highway in

Wardak province Maidan Wardak (Pashto: ; Dari: ), also called Wardag or Wardak, is one of the 34 provinces of Afghanistan, located in the central region of Afghanistan. It is divided into eight districts and has a population of approximately 500,00 The capita ...

. 2006 * March 17–18 – Various Taliban attacks in the country left five PMCs dead and two missing. * March 28 – Three PMCs were killed by a landmine in Farah province. * April 23 - Taliban militants attacked a U.S.-funded Afghan

construction Construction is a general term meaning the art and science to form Physical object, objects, systems, or organizations,"Construction" def. 1.a. 1.b. and 1.c. ''Oxford English Dictionary'' Second Edition on CD-ROM (v. 4.0) Oxford University Pr ...

company killing one PMC. * May 24 - Various Taliban attacks in the country left three PMCs dead. * June 18 - A former district chief was killed along with four PMCs who were guarding him in Helmand province. * September 10 - A suicide bomber killed a provincial governor in eastern Afghanistan along with his nephew and a PMC. 2005 * July 29 - A

parliamentary A parliamentary system, or parliamentarian democracy, is a system of democratic governance of a state (or subordinate entity) where the executive derives its democratic legitimacy from its ability to command the support ("confidence") of the ...

candidate was killed along with six PMCs who were protecting him in Oruzgan province. * September 27 - A PMC guarding a

presidential candidate A candidate, or nominee, is the prospective recipient of an award or honor, or a person seeking or being considered for some kind of position; for example: * to be elected to an office — in this case a candidate selection procedure occurs. * t ...

was killed along with the candidate in

Mazar-e Sharif , official_name = , settlement_type = City , image_skyline = , pushpin_map = Afghanistan#Bactria#West Asia , pushpin_label = Mazar-i-Sharif , pushpin ...

.
/ref> 2004 * March 5 - One PMC was killed in an ambush in Zabul province. * August 29 - Three PMCs were killed in an attack outside the doors of their compound in Kabul. 2003 * April 29 - One PMC was killed when his checkpoint was attacked in Kandahar province. * September 27 - Seven PMCs guarding the governor of Helmand province were killed in an ambush. 2002 * September 5 - An Assassination, assassination attempt on the Afghan president in Kabul left one PMC guarding him dead along with a civilian. Total
Based on the above listed reports, an estimated 356 private security guards were killed, six were missing and three were captured during the war.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:List Of Afghan Security Forces Fatality Reports In Afghanistan War in Afghanistan (2001–2021) casualties Security forces fatality reports