{"id":43669,"date":"2018-05-02T00:42:51","date_gmt":"2018-05-02T00:42:51","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/airforcetimes\/uncategorized\/2018\/05\/02\/afghan-insurgency-and-us-casualties-remain-at-highest-level-since-2015\/"},"modified":"2026-08-08T03:14:35","modified_gmt":"2026-08-08T03:14:35","slug":"afghan-insurgency-and-us-casualties-remain-at-highest-level-since-2015","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/airforcetimes\/flashpoints\/2018\/05\/02\/afghan-insurgency-and-us-casualties-remain-at-highest-level-since-2015\/","title":{"rendered":"Afghan insurgency and US casualties remain at highest level since 2015"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><i><b>Editor\u2019s note:<\/b> This story has been updated to reflect a supplement to SIGAR\u2019s <\/i><i>39th Quarterly Report to Congress.<\/i><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In Afghanistan, the <a href=\"https:\/\/dcas.dmdc.osd.mil\/dcas\/pages\/report_ofs_month.xhtml\" title=\"\" class=\"\" target=\"_blank\">insurgency\u2019s control<\/a> over districts remains at its highest level since the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.militarytimes.com\/flashpoints\/2018\/01\/23\/report-us-troops-did-not-have-proper-training-on-how-to-report-child-sex-abuse-by-afghan-forces\/\" title=\"\" class=\"\" target=\"_blank\">Special Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction<\/a>, or SIGAR, began receiving district control data in November 2015.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">That insurgency encompasses all illegitimate forces, including the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.militarytimes.com\/flashpoints\/2018\/03\/29\/is-isis-gaining-serious-ground-in-afghanistan-russia-says-yes-the-us-says-no\/\" title=\"\" class=\"\" target=\"_blank\">Islamic State\u2019s Afghan offshoot<\/a> and the Taliban, a SIGAR official said.<br><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Meanwhile, the UN-backed Afghan government\u2019s control over districts is at its second-lowest level, according to SIGAR\u2019s <a href=\"https:\/\/www.sigar.mil\/pdf\/quarterlyreports\/2018-04-30qr-section3-security.pdf\">new quarterly report<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The stalemate over the country may not bode well for U.S. and Afghan officials hoping to broker a political settlement with the Taliban.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In 2017, 11 U.S. troops were killed and another 102 were wounded in the country. This is a slight increase from the 10 U.S. troops killed in 2015 and nine killed in 2016, but a significant increase in the number of wounded from both 2015 and 2016, which was 75 and 71, respectively, according to the SIGAR report. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"> According to the <a href=\"https:\/\/dcas.dmdc.osd.mil\/dcas\/pages\/report_ofs_month.xhtml\" title=\"\" class=\"selected-link\" target=\"_blank\" data-original-title=\"\" aria-describedby=\"popover389399\">Defense Casualty Analysis System<\/a>, two U.S. military members were killed and 22 were wounded in Afghanistan so far in 2018. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">At the close of January, insurgents control or influence over 14 percent of the country\u2019s 407 districts, while the Afghan government controls or influences roughly 56 percent. The rest of the districts remain contested, according to SIGAR.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">A spokesperson for Resolute Support told Military Times that SIGAR\u2019s report reflects only \u201ca negligible increase in security incidents from 2016,\u201d while still showing \u201cmodest improvements to Afghan government control.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cChallenges exist, but Resolute Support is committed to overcoming them and seizing the opportunities associated with the lowering of the Taliban&#8217;s ambitions,\u201d the spokesperson added.<br><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The provinces with the largest percentages of insurgent controlled or influenced districts are Uruzgan, Kunduz and Helmand, U.S. forces in Afghanistan reported.<\/p>\n\n\n\t<aside class=\"smg-interstitial-link wp-block-smg-interstitial-link\">\n\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/militarytimes\/flashpoints\/2018\/04\/26\/how-the-us-dropped-more-munitions-in-afghanistan-this-year-than-it-has-since-the-height-of-the-war\/\" class=\"smg-interstitial-link__inner\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"smg-interstitial-link__media\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"300\" height=\"157\" src=\"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/4175598.jpg.jpg?w=300\" class=\"smg-interstitial-link__image wp-post-image\" alt=\"\" \/>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"smg-interstitial-link__content\">\n\t\t\t\t<span class=\"smg-interstitial-link__kicker\">Related<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t<h3 class=\"smg-interstitial-link__title\">How the US dropped more munitions in Afghanistan this year than it has since the height of the war<\/h3>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p class=\"smg-interstitial-link__excerpt\">U.S. Forces-Afghanistan (USFOR-A) has dropped more munitions in the first three months of this year than during the same time period in 2011 \u2014 a time widely considered the height of the war in Afghanistan.<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/a>\n\t<\/aside>\n\t\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">SIGAR also measures government influence by looking at control over the Afghan people, not just their land. The watchdog agency wrote that the \u201coverall trend for the insurgency is rising control over the population.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">SIGAR began receiving population data in August 2016, when insurgency control was around 9 percent. In January 2018, the insurgency\u2019s population control was found to be 12 percent.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The government\u2019s goal is to control or influence territory in which 80 percent of the 32.5 million Afghan people live within the next year and a half. Currently, the government controls about 65 percent of the population. That number is up 1 percent from last quarter, according to SIGAR.<br><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In addition to the back-and-forth over control, SIGAR wrote that Afghan security forces, which include the Afghan National Defense and Security Forces, have suffered \u201ca sharp decline in strength.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"844\" height=\"684\" src=\"\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/districtcontrolmap.JPG.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-79587\" srcset=\"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/districtcontrolmap.JPG.jpg 844w, https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/districtcontrolmap.JPG.jpg?resize=300,243 300w, https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/districtcontrolmap.JPG.jpg?resize=768,622 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 844px) 100vw, 844px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Note: GIRoA = Government of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan. INS = Insurgent. The population data depicted here reflects how the Afghan population is dispersed throughout the country. However, the entire population of a given area is not necessarily under the district stability level indicated. A district is assigned its district-stability level based on the overall trend of land-area\/population control of each district as a whole. The map-key categories shown here do not correspond exactly to the categories used in USFOR-A\u2019s March 2018 data responses. Source: USFOR-A, response to SIGAR vetting, 4\/12\/2018.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Afghan security forces saw a 17,980-person decrease in January 2018 compared to January 2017.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The sharp decrease was not attributed to any single cause in the report. But U.S. officials classified the levels of casualties Afghan security forces have sustained this quarter.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Still, the report\u2019s findings didn\u2019t seem to discourage Pentagon leadership.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cWe\u2019ll stand by the Afghan people. We\u2019ll stand by the Afghan government. And the NATO mission will continue, as we drive them [Taliban] to a political settlement,\u201d Defense Secretary Jim Mattis told reporters when asked about SIGAR\u2019s findings.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">To measure district control, the assessment looks at the government\u2019s ability \u201cto assert its sovereignty within direct sight of the people, deliver public services like health and education, provide policing, and \u2014 hopefully \u2014 operate the instruments of governance,\u201d according to SIGAR\u2019s report.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Population control is also important to look at, because \u201ccontrolling one district with a large population might be more important than controlling three with only a few, scattered villages.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\t<aside class=\"smg-interstitial-link wp-block-smg-interstitial-link\">\n\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/militarytimes\/flashpoints\/2018\/03\/26\/is-isis-gaining-serious-ground-in-afghanistan-russia-says-yes-the-us-says-no\/\" class=\"smg-interstitial-link__inner\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"smg-interstitial-link__media\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"300\" height=\"157\" src=\"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/4141095.jpg.jpg?w=300\" class=\"smg-interstitial-link__image wp-post-image\" alt=\"\" \/>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"smg-interstitial-link__content\">\n\t\t\t\t<span class=\"smg-interstitial-link__kicker\">Related<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t<h3 class=\"smg-interstitial-link__title\">Is ISIS gaining \u2018serious\u2019 ground in Afghanistan? Russia says yes. The US says no.<\/h3>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p class=\"smg-interstitial-link__excerpt\">U.S. airstrikes killed two leaders of ISIS-Khorasan \u2014 the Islamic State\u2019s Afghan offshoot \u2014 this month, as U.S. commanders claim they are fighting a narrative pushed by Russia that IS is growing in the country.<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/a>\n\t<\/aside>\n\t\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cOn the other hand, a government might have statistically verified control of every district within its borders; but if, say, 33 [percent] of the population were disaffected or actively supportive of insurgents, that government could still face a critical threat to its viability,\u201d the report reads.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">As of March 2018, there were roughly 14,000 <a href=\"https:\/\/www.militarytimes.com\/flashpoints\/2018\/01\/02\/top-us-commander-wants-more-aggressive-afghan-push-this-year\/\" title=\"\" class=\"\" target=\"_blank\">U.S. military personnel serving in Afghanistan<\/a> as part of Operation Freedom\u2019s Sentinel, according to U.S. officials cited in SIGAR\u2019s report. Approximately 7,800 of these troops are assigned to NATO\u2019s Resolute Support mission to train, advise and assist Afghan security forces \u2014 an increase of 400 personnel since last quarter due to the deployment of the U.S. Army Security Force Assistance Brigade, or SFAB, to the country.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The other U.S. troops in Afghanistan participate in air operations, train the Afghan special operations forces, and conduct counter-terror and counter-narcotics operations.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>In Afghanistan, insurgency groups\u2019 control over districts is at its highest level since SIGAR began receiving district control data in November 2015.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":7,"featured_media":79585,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_yoast_wpseo_meta-robots-noindex":"","_yoast_wpseo_meta-robots-nofollow":"","_yoast_wpseo_canonical":"","_acf":"","_yoast_wpseo_primary_category":13,"_jetpack_feature_clip_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","_smg_distribution_targets":[]},"categories":[101,13,16,26,67],"tags":[],"coauthors":[3277],"class_list":["post-43669","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-daily-news-roundup","category-flashpoints","category-news","category-newsletters","category-your-air-force"],"acf":{"subheadline":"","legacy_arc_id":"NB7GAHAKG5CYTDTPDEJAYYP65E","arc_canonical_url":"\/flashpoints\/2018\/05\/02\/afghan-insurgency-and-us-casualties-remain-at-highest-level-since-2015\/","remove_feature_photo":false,"is_sponsored":false,"subtype":"","redirect_url":"","disable_inline_ads":false,"native_logo_pretext":"Presented 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