IRAQ: The Insurgency: By the Numbers

IRAQ: The Insurgency: By the Numbers

February 16, 2005 3:14 pm (EST)

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The Iraq insurgency, which broke out after President George W. Bush declared the end of major combat operations in Iraq in May 2003, has killed more than 1,000 U.S. soldiers, hundreds of foreign nationals, and thousands of Iraqis. The following figures tracking the insurgency are based on information from the U.S. Defense Department , the U.S. State Department , U.S. Central Command , Iraq Body Count , The Lancet , Iraq Coalition Casualty Count , The Brookings Institution’s Iraq Index, and news reports.

U.S. casualties as of January 7, 2004:

  • 1,342 dead, of whom 1,056 were killed in action
  • 10,252 wounded, of whom 4,856 returned to duty within 72 hours

Multiple casualty car bombings (including suicide attacks) from May 2003 through January 4, 2005 : 171

Killed in those attacks: 1,806

Wounded in those attacks: 4,189

Insurgent attacks on coalition forces, through December 16, 2004: 17,140

Insurgents detained or killed since May 2003 (estimate): 32,000

Total insurgents as of January 2004:

U.S. estimate: more than 20,000

Iraqi intelligence estimate: 200,000 active supporters, at least 40,000 fighters

Non-Iraqi insurgents as of December 2004 (estimate): 3,000

Iraqi civilian deaths since March 2003, estimated by:

Non-Iraqi civilians killed in Iraq from May 2003 to January 4, 2005: 240

Countries with more than 10 civilians killed in Iraq from May 2003 to January 4, 2005:

  • United States: 75
  • United Kingdom: 27
  • Turkey: 21
  • Nepal: 15
  • South Africa: 14

Iraqi police killed between January 1, 2004, and September 28, 2004 (estimate): 750

Iraqi security force recruits (not including police) killed between May 1, 2003, and October 26, 2004 (estimate): 1,500Iraqi officials assassinated between June 2004 and December 2004: at least 20

Attacks on oil and gas pipelines, installations, and personnel as of January 4, 2005: 184

Foreign nationals kidnapped in Iraq between May 2003 and December 14, 2004: 160Killed: 33Released: 65Still held: 37Escaped: 3Rescued: 2Status unknown: 20

U.S. forces in Iraq: about 150,000

Other countries with forces in Iraq: 28

Total forces of other countries: roughly 25,000

Non-U.S. coalition soldiers killed (estimate): 151Great Britain: 76Italy: 19Poland: 16Spain: 11Ukraine: 9Bulgaria: 7Slovakia: 3Estonia: 2The Netherlands: 2Thailand: 2Denmark: 1El Salvador: 1Hungary: 1Latvia: 1

Deadliest locations for U.S. soldiers between March 2003 and January 6, 2005:

  • Baghdad: 284 killed
  • Greater al-Anbar province: 161 killed
  • Falluja: 136 killed

Deadliest months for U.S. soldiers between March 2003 and January 6, 2005:

  • November 2004: 137 killed
  • April 2004: 135 killed

Months in which the most U.S. soldiers were injured:

  • November 2004: 1,350 injured
  • April 2004: 1,206 injured
  • August 2004: 883 injured

U.S. states that have lost the most soldiers as of January 6, 2005:

  • California: 157
  • Texas: 120
  • Pennsylvania: 66
  • New York: 64
  • Florida: 60
  • Illinois: 57

American military helicopters downed as of December 31, 2004: 34

Iraqi forces fully or partially trained as of January 5, 2005: 121,737In the following categories:Police: 53,135Civil Intervention Force: 1,091Emergency Response Unit: 205Border Enforcement: 14,786Highway Patrol: 1,327Bureau of Dignitary Protection: 484Army: 4,414National Guard: 40,063Intervention Force: 5,246Special Operations Force: 674Air Force: 508Coastal Defense Force: 508

Iraqi security forces required, U.S. goal: 273,889

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