At least 34 civilians were killed and 74 injured in Afghanistan between January and March 2025, according to the latest quarterly human rights update from the United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA).
The report highlights that attacks claimed by armed groups—including Islamic State Khorasan Province (ISKP) and the Afghanistan Freedom Front (AFF)—continue to exact a high toll on civilians, as do explosive remnants of war.
UNAMA documented multiple high-casualty incidents in major cities during the reporting period.
These included a suicide bombing in Kunduz city on February 11, targeting de facto military personnel collecting their salaries. The explosion killed four civilians and 15 Taliban forces. ISKP claimed responsibility.
On January 15, an improvised explosive device (IED) detonated in Mazar-i-Sharif near a police vehicle, killing a boy and wounding 19 others—primarily fruit and vegetable vendors working nearby.
In Baghlan province on January 18, a grenade attack at a Taliban police checkpoint resulted in one death and 18 injuries. The Afghanistan Freedom Front claimed responsibility.
A Chinese national was killed in Takhar on January 21 while en route to a mining site; ISKP later claimed the attack.
On February 13, a suicide bomber entered the Taliban-run Ministry of Urban Development in Kabul, killing three staff and injuring ten others. ISKP again took responsibility.
Explosive remnants
UNAMA’s report underscores the ongoing danger of explosive remnants of war, particularly for children. Between January and March 2025, 42 civilians were killed or injured due to unexploded ordnance—including 30 boys and four girls. Children accounted for more than 80 percent of victims in these incidents.
The report notes that several attacks attributed to anti-Taliban movements also harmed civilians. For example, the grenade attack in Baghlan—claimed by the Afghanistan Freedom Front—injured at least 18, including women and children. These incidents show that civilians are frequently caught in the crossfire of escalating insurgent activity.
Cross-Border clashes
Cross-border fire between Afghan and Pakistani forces also led to casualties. On February 1, a reported Pakistani airstrike killed three civilians, including two polio workers, in Paktika province. Additional shelling in March wounded several civilians in Nangarhar, including three journalists covering the clashes.
In total, UNAMA recorded 108 civilian casualties in the first quarter of 2025: 34 deaths and 74 injuries. ISKP claimed responsibility for at least three high-casualty incidents, and the Afghanistan Freedom Front for one. Many of those affected were non-combatants, including children, health workers, and market vendors.
The report underscores the deteriorating security environment in Afghanistan and the increasing risks faced by ordinary Afghans, particularly amid shrinking humanitarian access and limited avenues for accountability.
