General information
Type of Incompatibility: Not applicable
Date of first battle related death: 1996-01-14
Date of conflict reached 25 battle releated deaths: 1996-07-15
Comment on conflict reached 25 battle releated deaths: The Taleban first became active as a one-sided actor in UCDP data in 1996, when the one-sided violence resulted in at least 25 civilian deaths. The threshold was reached in July that year when the Taleban executed at least 30 prisoners in the province of Hirat.
Annual information
This section contains annual information systematically collected by the UCDP.
1995
Primary Parties: -
Dimension: One-sided
| Estimated Fatalities | |
|---|---|
| High | 0 |
| Best | 0 |
| Low | 0 |
Numbers include fatalities for all dyads both active and inactive for this year
1996
Primary Parties: Taleban - Civilians
Dimension: One-sided
| Estimated Fatalities | |
|---|---|
| High | 42 |
| Best | 42 |
| Low | 12 |
Numbers include fatalities for all dyads both active and inactive for this year
2002
Primary Parties: -
Dimension: One-sided
| Estimated Fatalities | |
|---|---|
| High | 0 |
| Best | 0 |
| Low | 0 |
Numbers include fatalities for all dyads both active and inactive for this year
2003
Primary Parties: -
Dimension: One-sided
| Estimated Fatalities | |
|---|---|
| High | 29 |
| Best | 14 |
| Low | 14 |
Numbers include fatalities for all dyads both active and inactive for this year
2004
Primary Parties: Taleban - Civilians
Dimension: One-sided
| Estimated Fatalities | |
|---|---|
| High | 69 |
| Best | 53 |
| Low | 51 |
Numbers include fatalities for all dyads both active and inactive for this year
2005
Primary Parties: Taleban - Civilians
Dimension: One-sided
| Estimated Fatalities | |
|---|---|
| High | 149 |
| Best | 114 |
| Low | 114 |
Numbers include fatalities for all dyads both active and inactive for this year
2006
Primary Parties: Taleban - Civilians
Dimension: One-sided
| Estimated Fatalities | |
|---|---|
| High | 253 |
| Best | 196 |
| Low | 194 |
Numbers include fatalities for all dyads both active and inactive for this year
2007
Primary Parties: Taleban - Civilians
Dimension: One-sided
| Estimated Fatalities | |
|---|---|
| High | 142 |
| Best | 113 |
| Low | 113 |
Numbers include fatalities for all dyads both active and inactive for this year
2008
Primary Parties: Taleban - Civilians
Dimension: One-sided
| Estimated Fatalities | |
|---|---|
| High | 120 |
| Best | 108 |
| Low | 74 |
Numbers include fatalities for all dyads both active and inactive for this year
2009
Primary Parties: Taleban - Civilians
Dimension: One-sided
| Estimated Fatalities | |
|---|---|
| High | 179 |
| Best | 154 |
| Low | 151 |
Numbers include fatalities for all dyads both active and inactive for this year
2010
Primary Parties: Taleban - Civilians
Dimension: One-sided
| Estimated Fatalities | |
|---|---|
| High | 286 |
| Best | 185 |
| Low | 184 |
Numbers include fatalities for all dyads both active and inactive for this year
2011
Primary Parties: Taleban - Civilians
Dimension: One-sided
| Estimated Fatalities | |
|---|---|
| High | 163 |
| Best | 76 |
| Low | 76 |
Numbers include fatalities for all dyads both active and inactive for this year
2012
Primary Parties: Taleban - Civilians
Dimension: One-sided
| Estimated Fatalities | |
|---|---|
| High | 132 |
| Best | 83 |
| Low | 82 |
Numbers include fatalities for all dyads both active and inactive for this year
2013
Primary Parties: Taleban - Civilians
Dimension: One-sided
| Estimated Fatalities | |
|---|---|
| High | 80 |
| Best | 64 |
| Low | 62 |
Numbers include fatalities for all dyads both active and inactive for this year
2014
Primary Parties: Taleban - Civilians
Dimension: One-sided
| Estimated Fatalities | |
|---|---|
| High | 297 |
| Best | 240 |
| Low | 237 |
Numbers include fatalities for all dyads both active and inactive for this year
2015
Primary Parties: Taleban - Civilians
Dimension: One-sided
| Estimated Fatalities | |
|---|---|
| High | 246 |
| Best | 161 |
| Low | 161 |
Numbers include fatalities for all dyads both active and inactive for this year
2016
Primary Parties: Taleban - Civilians
Dimension: One-sided
| Estimated Fatalities | |
|---|---|
| High | 285 |
| Best | 149 |
| Low | 149 |
Numbers include fatalities for all dyads both active and inactive for this year
2017
Primary Parties: Taleban - Civilians
Dimension: One-sided
| Estimated Fatalities | |
|---|---|
| High | 136 |
| Best | 96 |
| Low | 95 |
Numbers include fatalities for all dyads both active and inactive for this year
2018
Primary Parties: Taleban - Civilians
Dimension: One-sided
| Estimated Fatalities | |
|---|---|
| High | 158 |
| Best | 122 |
| Low | 115 |
Numbers include fatalities for all dyads both active and inactive for this year
2019
Primary Parties: Taleban - Civilians
Dimension: One-sided
| Estimated Fatalities | |
|---|---|
| High | 209 |
| Best | 168 |
| Low | 156 |
Numbers include fatalities for all dyads both active and inactive for this year
2020
Primary Parties: Taleban - Civilians
Dimension: One-sided
| Estimated Fatalities | |
|---|---|
| High | 248 |
| Best | 174 |
| Low | 160 |
Numbers include fatalities for all dyads both active and inactive for this year
2021
Primary Parties: Taleban - Civilians
Dimension: One-sided
| Estimated Fatalities | |
|---|---|
| High | 229 |
| Best | 156 |
| Low | 152 |
Numbers include fatalities for all dyads both active and inactive for this year
Conflict Archive
This section contains annual information no longer systematically collected by the UCDP.
1995 Conflict Archive
Terminated: NO
1996 Conflict Archive
Terminated: NO
2002 Conflict Archive
Terminated: NO
2003 Conflict Archive
Terminated: NO
2004 Conflict Archive
Comment on Activity: During 2004 –the second year of the resurgent Taleban struggle against the government- two types of targets for one-sided violence committed by the Taleban stand out: attacks on aid workers and attacks on election-related activities.
In the first category many civilians, both foreign and Afghan, were killed in Taleban attacks on charity and aid organisations. The Taleban frequently accused these organisations of spying for or collaborating with the internationals and the government and thus targeted them.
In the second category the Taleban attempted to disrupt the Afghan presidential elections, planned for October 2004, by attacking voter registration locations, election workers (both Afghan and foreign) and also civilians carrying voting cards.
In addition to these two categories, which stand for the bulk of the civilian deaths caused by the Taleban in 2004, the group also targeted clerics that supported the government and civilians that were accused of collaborating with or spying for the government or its international allies.
Terminated: NO
2005 Conflict Archive
Comment on Activity: Taleban attacks on civilians during 2005 took on a more diversified approach than in 2004, with several prominent target categories being attacked.
Attacks on election-related activities continued, this time with the intent of disrupting the 2005 parliamentary elections. As in 2004 this meant that election workers and candidates, as well as civilians with voting cards, were targeted and killed. Attacks included bombings of voter registration sites as well as kidnappings and killings.
The Taleban also stepped up its number of attacks on pro-government Afghan elders and clerics, in a clear attempt to wipe out prominent persons opposed to the movement.
Towards the end of the year the Taleban, having now expanded its foothold in southern Afghanistan, initiated its campaign against educational institutions; a campaign that continued also throughout 2006. In this campaign the group systematically targeted schools and civilians working with education, in protest of mixed classes of boys and girls and the teaching of girls in general.
Further, the Taleban continued to target civilians working for aid and development agencies, who oftentimes worked on building roads and bridges or handing out aid in isolated villages in the south.
Finally, the Taleban continued its strategy of executing people accused of spying for the government or the Americans.
The majority of civilians killed during 2005 are to be found in the two first categories; election-related violence and attacks on prominent elders. The more diversified targeting strategy was probably an effect of the Taleban’s firmer grip on the southern provinces of the country.
Terminated: NO
2006 Conflict Archive
Comment on Activity: The year 2006 saw an expansion of the Taleban’s campaign against aid and development agencies in the country. Both agencies linked to the government and agencies linked to international organisations were targeted across the country, primarily through attacks on institutions and construction sites or kidnappings (that often ended in executions).
The Taleban likewise continued to target and kill civilians accused of collaborating with the government or international forces, and also targeted prominent Afghan elders and clerics who supported the government side in the conflict.
A notable trend in 2006 was an increase in the use of suicide bombings against civilian targets; a tactic that had previously been used almost solely against battle-related targets. Such suicide bombings reaped a substantial number of civilian casualties throughout the year.
Terminated: NO
2007 Conflict Archive
Comment on Activity: In 2007 the Taleban continued to make use of one-sided violence and more or less followed the targeting pattern that had been established through activities in earlier years.
The primary targets of one-sided violence were thus civilians accused of spying for or collaborating with the international forces and the government, aid and development workers, pro-government elders and clerics and people working within the sphere of education.
One notable trend was the Taleban’s use of kidnapping foreign nationals and threatening to execute them if their countries of origin did not withdraw their military forces. This strategy affected South Korea, Germany and Italy.
Terminated: NO
2008 Conflict Archive
Comment on Activity: In 2008 the Taleban continued to make use of one-sided violence and more or less followed the targeting pattern that had been established through activities in earlier years.
The primary targets of one-sided violence were thus civilians accused of spying for or collaborating with the international forces and the government, aid and development workers, pro-government elders and clerics and people working within the sphere of education.
The spread of Taleban influence across Afghanistan also meant that several civilians were killed by kangaroo courts.
Terminated: NO
2009 Conflict Archive
Comment on Activity: One-sided violence by the Taleban continued in 2009. A wide variety of civilians were targeted throughout the year, ranging from people accused of spying for international forces, over tribal elders deemed to be pro-government, to aid and development workers.
In relation to the elections held in August several candidates and election workers were also targeted.
Terminated: NO
2010 Conflict Archive
Comment on Activity: In 2010 the Taleban continued to make use of one-sided violence in targeted attacks against civilians. Tribal elders, people accused of being pro-government or ISAF spies, teachers and aid workers were among the civilians killed. The most severe attack during the year took place in Kandahar in June, when a Taleban suicide bomber killed at least 84 civilians at a wedding ceremony.
Terminated: NO
2011 Conflict Archive
Comment on Activity: In 2011 the Taleban continued to make use of one-sided violence in targeted attacks against civilians. Tribal elders, people accused of being pro-government or ISAF spies, teachers and aid workers were among the civilians killed.
Comment on Yearly Battle Related Deaths: The high discrepency between the best estimate and the high estimate is mainly caused by insufficient information on two events that together resulted in 60 civilians deaths. The first one is an attack on passengers travelling along a highway in Logar in early June and the second one is a suicide attack targeting a hospital in Logar province in late June. The Taleban denies responsibility and it has not been possible to verify the reports of the events.
Terminated: NO
2012 Conflict Archive
Comment on Activity: In 2012 the Taleban continued to make use of one-sided violence in targeted attacks against civilians. Tribal elders, people accused of being pro-government or ISAF spies, teachers and aid workers were among the civilians killed.
The two deadliest attacks were suicide attacks against civilian targets. In June insurgents attacked a lakeside hotel outside of Kabul killing 17. The Taleban claimed responsibility and said they had attacked the hotel because foreigners used it for prostitution. In August, another suicide attack was carried out in the northern province of Konduz, targeting shoppers in the bazaar.
Terminated: NO
2013 Conflict Archive
Comment on Activity: In 2013 the Taleban continued to make use of one-sided violence in targeted attacks against civilians. Tribal elders, people accused of being pro-government or ISAF spies, teachers, and road construction workers were among the civilians killed.
Several NGO’s and aid workers were targeted, among them the French NGO ACTED, working with a literacy project. In November, six employees were killed in Faryab province in a Taleban ambush.
Terminated: NO
2014 Conflict Archive
Terminated: NO
2015 Conflict Archive
Terminated: NO
2016 Conflict Archive
Terminated: NO
2017 Conflict Archive
Terminated: NO
2018 Conflict Archive
Terminated: NO
2019 Conflict Archive
Terminated: NO
2020 Conflict Archive
Terminated: NO
2021 Conflict Archive
Comment on Activity: In 2021 the Taleban continued to make use of one-sided violence in targeted attacks against civilians. Tribal elders, people accused of being pro-government, teachers and aid workers were among the civilians killed.
Terminated: NO
