5,900 killed in 21 days of war, including 595 civilians: Hengaw’s sixth report

Hengaw – Friday, March 20, 2026

As the war between the United States, Israel, and the Islamic Republic of Iran enters its 21st day, the Hengaw Organization for Human Rights expresses grave concern over the rising number of civilian casualties and presents its latest findings.

According to data verified by Hengaw’s Documentation Center, at least 5,900 people have been killed as of the end of the twenty-first day of the conflict. Of these, 10%, including 595 civilians, have lost their lives, while 5,305 were members of the Iranian military.

Breakdown of casualties and geographic scope of attacks

Based on Hengaw’s field documentation, from February 28 to March 20, 2026, military and government facilities of the Islamic Republic of Iran in at least 184 cities across 26 provinces have been targeted by Israeli and U.S. airstrikes and missile attacks.

These targets include Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) bases, Basij centers, military airports, missile sites, police stations, judicial institutions, intelligence headquarters, army barracks, and special forces units.

According to Hengaw’s findings, 5,305 government military personnel have been killed to date, the majority of whom were affiliated with the Air Force, the IRGC, and the army.

The highest number of military casualties has been recorded in the provinces of Tehran, Kermanshah, Hormozgan, Alborz, Kurdistan (Sanandaj), and Sistan and Balochestan.

Hengaw emphasizes that the Iranian security was institutions have adopted a policy of “systematic concealment,” refraining from publishing accurate casualty figures and, in limited cases, releasing figures significantly lower than those documented on the ground.

At least 595 civilians killed in the first 21 days

Hengaw confirms that the highest number of civilian casualties has been recorded in the provinces of Tehran, Hormozgan, Kermanshah, Fars, Alborz, Ilam, Markazi, and Lorestan.

According to Hengaw’s verified data, at least 595 civilians have been killed in the course of the attacks, accounting for 10% of the total death toll.

Among the civilian victims, Hengaw has confirmed the deaths of 127 minors and 168 women.

Iranian state media and official authorities previously reported that 167 children were killed in an incident at a school in Minab. However, after 21 days, only 58 victims from this incident have been identified—48 children and 10 adults.

Hengaw has received multiple reports confirming that Iranian military forces, after abandoning formal bases, have been stationed in civilian and public locations, including schools, student dormitories, and mosques within residential areas. According to the Geneva Conventions, such actions may constitute the use of “human shields,” placing civilian lives at serious risk.

Heavy government losses in Kurdistan and statistical concealment

During the first 21 days of the war, intensive airstrikes by Israeli and U.S. forces targeted military and government sites in 35 cities across the provinces of Ilam, Kermanshah, Kurdistan (Sanandaj), and West Azerbaijan (Urmia).

At least 240 military bases and security centers of the Islamic Republic were targeted in these areas.

Hengaw’s investigations shiw that at least 1,480 Iranian military and government personnel were killed in these four provinces during the first 21 days of the conflict.

In addition, at least 98 civilians were killed in these areas, with the highest numbers recorded in Urmia, Sanandaj, Divandarreh, Eslamabad-e Gharb, Ilam, Naqadeh, Bukan, and Kermanshah.

Hengaw reiterates that the Islamic Republic of Iran’s security institutions have withheld accurate military casualty figures, particularly in Kurdistan, and have, in limited disclosures, reported figures significantly lower than the documented reality.

Hengaw calls for urgent international action

Referring to the Fourth Geneva Convention on the protection of civilians in wartime, Hengaw underscores that all parties to the conflict are obligated to strictly distinguish between military and civilian targets.

The Hengaw Organization for Human Rights calls on international bodies, particularly the United Nations Security Council and human rights monitoring institutions, to exert pressure on the parties involved and to closely monitor the Islamic Republic of Iran’s concealment practices.

Hengaw further urges the immediate activation of international mechanisms to ensure the protection of civilians amid the ongoing conflict.