Where Is War

Is there a war in Afghanistan?

Yes. UCDP lists 4 active armed conflicts with fighting recorded in Afghanistan.

1 of them at war level (1,000+ deaths in a year). Largest: Pakistan: Government (mainly in Pakistan), 2,511 deaths in 2025.

Updated 30 October 2026 · UCDP data through 30 September 2026 · View on map →

Deaths recorded in Afghanistan in 2025

306in state-based fighting
0in fighting between armed groups
26in attacks on civilians (one-sided violence)

UCDP GED Global 26.1: best estimates for events located in Afghanistan (as UCDP places them), by type of violence. The three are shown separately, as UCDP counts them, and are not added together here.

The conflicts

Each conflict as UCDP defines it: a dispute with at least 25 battle-related deaths in a year. Figures are UCDP best estimates; the newest months are preliminary and can change. UCDP does not record who started each clash.

War levelState-based conflict · UCDP start year 1990

Pakistan: Government

2,511deaths in 2025UCDP Battle-Related Deaths Dataset 26.1 (conflict level)
2,075deaths in Jan–Sep 2026preliminary · UCDP Candidate Events Dataset 26.01.26.09
34,517total 1990–2025sum of the UCDP yearly figures below (23 years listed)

Who is fighting: Government of Pakistan vs HGB, IMP, TTP

1990: 701991: not in the dataset (below 25 deaths or no data)1992: not in the dataset (below 25 deaths or no data)1993: not in the dataset (below 25 deaths or no data)1994: 381995: 521996: 421997: not in the dataset (below 25 deaths or no data)1998: not in the dataset (below 25 deaths or no data)1999: not in the dataset (below 25 deaths or no data)2000: not in the dataset (below 25 deaths or no data)2001: not in the dataset (below 25 deaths or no data)2002: not in the dataset (below 25 deaths or no data)2003: not in the dataset (below 25 deaths or no data)2004: not in the dataset (below 25 deaths or no data)2005: not in the dataset (below 25 deaths or no data)2006: not in the dataset (below 25 deaths or no data)2007: 5852008: 2,9982009: 6,3032010: 5,5742011: 2,5982012: 2,6732013: 1,7292014: 2,9472015: 1,9542016: 5262017: 5062018: 1472019: 1482020: 1862021: 2592022: 4942023: 8722024: 1,3052025: 2,5112026: 2,075 (Jan–Sep 2026, preliminary)
1990highest: 6,3032026*

* Jan–Sep 2026, preliminary (hatched). Grey: year not in the dataset (UCDP lists a conflict-year only with at least 25 deaths).

Latest recorded fighting: September 2026

Conflict-wide figures (not only Afghanistan). Also recorded in: Pakistan.

Figures by year
YearDeaths (best estimate)
Jan–Sep 2026 preliminary2,075
20252,511
20241,305
2023872
2022494
2021259
2020186
2019148
2018147
2017506
2016526
20151,954
20142,947
20131,729
20122,673
20112,598
20105,574
20096,303
20082,998
2007585
199642
199552
199438
199070

UCDP conflict page · CrisisWatch: Pakistan · War WATCH (legal classification) · View on map →

Armed conflictState-based conflict · UCDP start year 2005

Afghanistan - Pakistan

178deaths in 2025UCDP Battle-Related Deaths Dataset 26.1 (conflict level)
685deaths in Jan–Sep 2026preliminary · UCDP Candidate Events Dataset 26.01.26.09
239total 2024–2025sum of the UCDP yearly figures below (2 years listed)

Who is fighting: Government of Afghanistan vs Government of Pakistan

2005: not in the dataset (below 25 deaths or no data)2006: not in the dataset (below 25 deaths or no data)2007: not in the dataset (below 25 deaths or no data)2008: not in the dataset (below 25 deaths or no data)2009: not in the dataset (below 25 deaths or no data)2010: not in the dataset (below 25 deaths or no data)2011: not in the dataset (below 25 deaths or no data)2012: not in the dataset (below 25 deaths or no data)2013: not in the dataset (below 25 deaths or no data)2014: not in the dataset (below 25 deaths or no data)2015: not in the dataset (below 25 deaths or no data)2016: not in the dataset (below 25 deaths or no data)2017: not in the dataset (below 25 deaths or no data)2018: not in the dataset (below 25 deaths or no data)2019: not in the dataset (below 25 deaths or no data)2020: not in the dataset (below 25 deaths or no data)2021: not in the dataset (below 25 deaths or no data)2022: not in the dataset (below 25 deaths or no data)2023: not in the dataset (below 25 deaths or no data)2024: 612025: 1782026: 685 (Jan–Sep 2026, preliminary)
2005highest: 6852026*

* Jan–Sep 2026, preliminary (hatched). Grey: year not in the dataset (UCDP lists a conflict-year only with at least 25 deaths).

Latest recorded fighting: September 2026

Conflict-wide figures (not only Afghanistan). Also recorded in: Pakistan.

Figures by year
YearDeaths (best estimate)
Jan–Sep 2026 preliminary685
2025178
202461

UCDP conflict page · CrisisWatch: Afghanistan · View on map →

Armed conflictState-based conflict · UCDP start year 2015

Afghanistan: Islamic State

56deaths in 2025UCDP Battle-Related Deaths Dataset 26.1 (conflict level)
34deaths in Jan–Sep 2026preliminary · UCDP Candidate Events Dataset 26.01.26.09
10,694total 2015–2025sum of the UCDP yearly figures below (11 years listed)

Who is fighting: Government of Afghanistan vs IS

2015: 6792016: 2,1412017: 2,7952018: 2,8422019: 1,0752020: 3162021: 2642022: 2582023: 1632024: 1052025: 562026: 34 (Jan–Sep 2026, preliminary)
2015highest: 2,8422026*

* Jan–Sep 2026, preliminary (hatched). Grey: year not in the dataset (UCDP lists a conflict-year only with at least 25 deaths).

Latest recorded fighting: August 2026

Conflict-wide figures (not only Afghanistan). Also recorded in: Pakistan.

Figures by year
YearDeaths (best estimate)
Jan–Sep 2026 preliminary34
202556
2024105
2023163
2022258
2021264
2020316
20191,075
20182,842
20172,795
20162,141
2015679

UCDP conflict page · CrisisWatch: Afghanistan · View on map →

Armed conflictState-based conflict · UCDP start year 1975

Afghanistan: Government

25deaths in 2025UCDP Battle-Related Deaths Dataset 26.1 (conflict level)
107deaths in Jan–Sep 2026preliminary · UCDP Candidate Events Dataset 26.01.26.09
286,205total 1989–2025sum of the UCDP yearly figures below (37 years listed)

Who is fighting: Government of Afghanistan vs NRF

1989: 5,1741990: 1,4781991: 3,3021992: 4,2761993: 3,7211994: 8,9371995: 5,5161996: 3,1771997: 6,3961998: 6,2561999: 4,6292000: 5,2352001: 2,3282002: 302003: 6602004: 7112005: 1,6282006: 4,7342007: 6,8482008: 5,6552009: 6,3902010: 7,0382011: 7,4232012: 7,7302013: 8,0482014: 12,3512015: 16,6062016: 15,7752017: 16,1792018: 22,8372019: 28,8282020: 20,1592021: 35,3292022: 6892023: 782024: 292025: 252026: 107 (Jan–Sep 2026, preliminary)
1989highest: 35,3292026*

* Jan–Sep 2026, preliminary (hatched). Grey: year not in the dataset (UCDP lists a conflict-year only with at least 25 deaths).

Latest recorded fighting: September 2026

Conflict-wide figures (not only Afghanistan). Also recorded in: Tajikistan.

Figures by year
YearDeaths (best estimate)
Jan–Sep 2026 preliminary107
202525
202429
202378
2022689
202135,329
202020,159
201928,828
201822,837
201716,179
201615,775
201516,606
201412,351
20138,048
20127,730
20117,423
20107,038
20096,390
20085,655
20076,848
20064,734
20051,628
2004711
2003660
200230
20012,328
20005,235
19994,629
19986,256
19976,396
19963,177
19955,516
19948,937
19933,721
19924,276
19913,302
19901,478
19895,174

UCDP conflict page · CrisisWatch: Afghanistan · View on map →

Military personnel

165,000own armed forces (2020)World Bank / IISS · active + paramilitary

Foreign military personnel in Afghanistan

UN peacekeepers1

UNAMA · 31 Jul 2026 · UN DPO

Top contributors

UK 1

Other countries may have forces here; only official, reusable figures are shown.

Other countries with active armed conflicts in Asia

CambodiaIndiaIndonesiaMyanmarPakistanPapua New GuineaPhilippinesTajikistanThailand

All countries →

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