List of drone strikes in Afghanistan

Since January 2015, multiple drone strikes have been conducted by the United States government in Afghanistan. These strikes began during the administration of the United States President Barack Obama. Since the presidency of Donald Trump, it has been estimated that drone strikes have multiplied at a pace of four to five times compared with previous presidency of Barack Obama.[5]

Drone Strikes in Afghanistan
Part of War in Afghanistan (2001-present)
DateJan 2015 – present[1]
Location
Afghanistan
  • 13,072 drone strikes confirmed[2]
Status CIA drone strikes
Casualties and losses
Total killed: 4,126-10,076[3] Civilians killed:300-909[3]
Children killed: 66-184,[3] Injured: 658-1769[4]

The first ever drone strike conducted in Afghanistan was on Jan 1, 2015, at Spera District, Khost province.[6] There have been a total of at least 4130 airstrikes conducted by the US government, killing at least 3923, with 150 civilians and 36 children.[7] Besides the US government, the Afghan Air Force (AAF) is the only other force carrying out air strikes in Afghanistan. Since June 1, 2016, the AAF has conducted at least 41 strike capable operations.[8]

Criticism

The United States government has faced great criticism owing to the number of civilian casualties and many killed being unintended targets.[9][10][11] The Amnesty International has also condemned drone attacks, equating these with unlawful executions and war crimes.[12]

Timeline

2015

2016
  • 2 January 2016: Five former Pakistani Taliban (TTP) fighters who pledged alliance to ISIL, including the former TTP commander in Bajaur tribal agency in Pakistan, Abu Bakr, were killed by a US drone strike, further injuring two militants in the Shaltan Darra area, located in the Shegal district, located in the Kunar province.[16]
  • 5 January 2016: A US Special Forces soldier, Army Staff Sgt. Matthew McClintock, was killed during an hours-long gun battle by Taliban militants, also injuring two other soldiers, in the Marjah district, located in the Helmand province, marking him the first US casualty of 2016.[17][18]
  • 6 January 2016: Twelve US air or drone strikes killed an unknown number of people in the Majah district, located in the Helmand province.[19]
  • 8 January 2016: AAF strikes hit and killed 23 ISIL militants in the Achin and Kot districts, located in the Nangarhar province.[20]
  • 8 January 2016: A US air or drone strike killed 17-20 ISIL militants, including four senior commanders, who were executing seven men (six Taliban militants and one Afghan National Army soldier) at the time, with a large number of civilians forced to watch in the Maktab village, located in the Pekha area, located in Achin District, located in the Nangarhar province. Two civilians were injured and there were possible civilian deaths.[21][22][23][24]
  • 8 January 2016: A US air or drone strike killed an unknown number of people “to eliminate threats to the force” in the Kharkhez district, located in the Kandahar province.[7]
  • 8 January 2016: A US air or drone strike killed an unknown number of people “to eliminate threats to the force” in the Bermal district, located in the Paktika province.[7]
  • 9 January 2016: 20 ISIL militants were killed by a US drone strike in Achin District, located in the Nangarhar province.[25]
  • 9 January 2016: 15 ISIL militants were killed by a US air or drone strike in the Janjal Gondai area, located in the Kot district, located in the Nangarhar province, further injuring three people, including a woman.[7]
  • 9 January 2016: Ten militants from Pakistan were killed by a US air or drone strike in the Shegal district, located in the Kunar province. The victims included Zishan, Haqyar and Sajid Mohammed (aka Attique or Atiqullah), aged 13 to 14, who was the son of Maulvi Faqir Mohammad a former deputy leader of the TTP, who served under the command of Baitullah and Hakimullah Mehsud.[26][27]

2018
  • 1 January 2018: At least 61 ISIL militants were killed, including one civilian, in the Nangarhar province by a possible US strike. A further 30 ISIL militants were injured, including 14 civilians.[28]
  • 1 January 2018: Twenty-six people, including foreigners and prominent ISIL commanders, were killed by a possible US strike in the village of Saradara and Alkhani in the Darzab district. Some victims included famous militant commander Qari Zia aka Shuja, and two other prominent militants, Yaqub and Shaikh, a judge. There were also possible civilian casualties.[29][30]
  • 1 January 2018: A possible US strike killed seven Taliban fighters in the Bati Kot district. A second strike killed two members of ISIL's Afghan branch in Achin District.[31]
  • 5 January 2018: A possible US strike killed 10 ISIL militants in a training camp in Nangarhar's Haska Mena district while they were in training. Two compounds belonging to ISIL were also destroyed, leaving five militants dead. Another strike killed six militants during ground operations.[32]
  • 5 January 2018: A possible US strike killed 14 ISIL militants, including two commanders, in the Nad-e Ali district in the Laghman province.[33]
  • 6 January 2018: An unnamed key Taliban leader responsible for "financial deals and providing logistics" for militants was killed in the Helmand province by a possible US strike.[34]
  • 10 January 2018: Twenty-one militants, including seven foreigners from Pakistan, were killed by a possible US strike in the Khak e Safid district, located in the Farah province.[35]
  • 1 April 2018: Mullah Lal Mohammad, a local Taliban leader in the Kandarhar province, was killed by a AAF strike in the Nish district, injuring 11 other members of his group[36] Also the same day, a US strike killed an unknown number of Taliban fighters in the Nad Ali district[37]
  • 2 April 2018: Afghan military strike kills at least 70, including 21 terrorists, one of whom was a Taliban commander, and injured 30 others during a religious ceremony at a Mosque in Dasht-e-Archi.[38]
  • 3 April 2018: US drone strike killed four ISIL militants in Nangarhar.[39]
  • 5 April 2018: A high-ranking ISIL commander named Qari Hikmatullah (also Hekmat) and his bodyguard were killed in a US drone strike in the northern province of Jowzjan[40][41]
  • 6 April 2018: An AAF strike killed eight militants in Farghamerawi locality of Wardoj district.[42]

2019
  • 18 September 2019: A US drone strike intended to hit an Islamic State hideout killed 30 pine-nut farmers in the Nangarhar province.[43]
  • 1 December 2019: A US drone strike on a car carrying a woman who had just given birth near Khost left five people dead.[44]

2020
  • 8 January 2020: More than 60 civilians were killed or wounded in a US drone attack targeting Mullah Nangyalay, a top Taliban splinter-group commander in Herat Province.[45][46]

See also

References
  1. "Drone Strikes in Afghanistan — The Bureau of Investigative Journalism". Thebureauinvestigates.com.
  2. "Drone War: Afghanistan". The Bureau of Investigative Journalism. Retrieved 2018-05-07.
  3. "Drone War: Afghanistan — The Bureau of Investigative Journalism".
  4. "Drone Strikes in Afghanistan". The Bureau of Investigative Journalism. Retrieved 2020-11-18.
  5. "Trump is ordering airstrikes at 5 times the pace Obama did". Businessinsider.com. 2017-04-04.
  6. "Afghanistan: Reported US air and drone strikes 2015". Thebureauinvestigates.com.
  7. "Afghanistan: Reported US air and drone strikes 2016".
  8. "Afghanistan: Reported US air and drone strikes 2016". Thebureauinvestigates.com.
  9. Fang, Marina (15 October 2015). "Nearly 90 Percent Of People Killed In Recent Drone Strikes Were Not The Target". Huff Post.
  10. Ackerman, Spencer (24 November 2014). "41 men targeted but 1,147 people killed: US drone strikes – the facts on the ground". The Guardian.
  11. "Rights groups condemn US drone raids". Bbc.com. 22 October 2013.
  12. ""WILL I BE NEXT?" : US DRONE STRIKES IN PAKISTAN" (PDF). Amnestyusa.org. Retrieved 28 October 2018.
  13. "Afghanistan: Reported US air and drone strikes 2015".
  14. https://www.kuna.net.kw/ArticleDetails.aspx?id=2417171&Language=en
  15. Sherazi, Zahir Shah (29 January 2015). "Four killed in US drone strike near Pak-Afghan border".
  16. "Drone strike leaves 5 militants dead in Kunar province - The Khaama Press News Agency". www.khaama.com. 2016-01-03.
  17. Jim Sciutto; Jamie Crawford; Greg Botelho. "U.S. soldier killed in Afghanistan". CNN Politics.
  18. Wong, Kristina (7 January 2016). "Pentagon: US troops in 'combat situation' in Afghanistan".
  19. Editorial, Reuters. "U.S. conducts air strikes as fighting rages in Afghan province".
  20. "23 ISIS fanatics killed in separate airstrikes by Afghan Air Force - The Khaama Press News Agency". www.khaama.com. 2016-01-09.
  21. Gul, Ayaz. "US Drone Strike Kills at Least 17 IS Militants in Afghanistan".
  22. "19 ISIS fanatics killed in airstrike shortly after beheading seven in Nangarhar - The Khaama Press News Agency". www.khaama.com. 2016-01-09.
  23. "Daesh loses 17 fighters to drone strike, beheads 7 Taliban". www.pajhwok.com.
  24. Editorial, Reuters (2016-01-10). "U.S. carries out drone strike in eastern Afghanistan". Reuters.
  25. "US drone strike kills 20 'IS militants' near Pak-Afghan border". www.pakistantoday.com.pk.
  26. "Drone strike kills 3 foreign terrorists in Kunar - The Khaama Press News Agency". www.khaama.com. 2016-01-10.
  27. "Kunar drone strike: Son of TTP's ex-deputy chief among the dead - The Express Tribune". 11 January 2016.
  28. "78 ISIS militants killed, wounded in Afghan-US airstrikes in Nangarhar - The Khaama Press News Agency". www.khaama.com. 2018-01-02.
  29. "10 civilians, 26 Daesh militants killed in Jawzjan airstrikes". www.pajhwok.com.
  30. Gandhara, RFE/RL. "Police Chief Claims Airstrikes Killed Foreign Fighters In Northern Afghanistan".
  31. "US drones target Taliban insurgents in Nangarhar province - The Khaama Press News Agency". www.khaama.com. 2018-01-02.
  32. "Airstrikes on ISIS training camps, compounds leaves several dead - The Khaama Press News Agency". www.khaama.com. 2018-01-05.
  33. "14 Daesh Militants Killed In Laghman Airstrike - TOLOnews".
  34. "Taliban leader in charge of finances and logistics killed in Helmand - The Khaama Press News Agency". www.khaama.com. 2018-01-06.
  35. "Foreigners among 21 militants killed in Farah airstrikes - The Khaama Press News Agency". www.khaama.com. 2018-01-10.
  36. "Key Taliban leader and 11 militants killed in Kandahar airstrike - The Khaama Press News Agency". www.khaama.com. 2018-04-02.
  37. Lamothe, Dan (16 April 2018). "Inside the Marines' new mission in Afghanistan: Taking back territory previously won" – via www.washingtonpost.com.
  38. Nordland, Rod (2 April 2018). "Afghan Military Strike Kills at Least 70 at Mosque". The New York Times.
  39. "US drone strike leaves 4 ISIS militants dead in Nangarhar province - The Khaama Press News Agency". www.khaama.com. 2018-04-08.
  40. "Top ISIS commander in Afghanistan killed in airstrike". english.alarabiya.net.
  41. hermesauto (10 April 2018). "US confirms top ISIS commander in Afghanistan killed in airstrike".
  42. "8 militants killed, 2 hideouts destroyed in N. Afghan province - Xinhua - English.news.cn". www.xinhuanet.com.
  43. "US drone strike intended for Isis hideout kills 30 pine nut workers in Afghanistan". The Guardian. 2019-09-19.
  44. Mangal, Farooq Jan; Abed, Fahim (December 2019). "U.S. Drone Killed Afghan Civilians, Officials Say". The New York Times.
  45. "US strike targeting Taliban commander causes civilian casualties". www.aljazeera.com.
  46. Abed, Fahim (2020-01-11). "Two U.S. Service Members Killed in Afghanistan". The New York Times.
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