6,900 killed, including 720 civilians, in first month of war: Hengaw’s eighth report

Hengaw – Saturday, March 28, 2026

On the 29th day of the ongoing war between the United States, Israel, and the Islamic Republic of Iran, the Hengaw Organization for Human Rights releases its eighth report, expressing grave concern over the rising number of civilian casualties.

According to statistics confirmed by Hengaw’s Statistics and Documentation Center, by the end of the 29th day of the conflict, at least 6,900 people have been killed. Of these, 720 individuals (10.5%) were civilians, while 6,180 were members of Iranian military forces.

Breakdown of casualties and geographic scope of attacks

Between February 28 and March 28, 2026, military and government facilities in at least 190 cities across 27 provinces of Iran were targeted by Israeli and U.S. airstrikes and missile attacks.

The strikes targeted a wide range of installations, including Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) bases, Basij militia centers, military airbases, missile facilities, police stations, judicial institutions, intelligence headquarters, army barracks, and special forces units.

6,180 government military personnel have been killed, the majority affiliated with the air force, the IRGC, and the Iranian army.

The highest military casualties have been recorded in the provinces of Tehran, Kermanshah, Hormozgan, Lorestan, Alborz, Khuzestan, Kurdistan (Sanandaj), and Sistan and Baluchestan.

Hengaw has learned that Iranian security institutions are implementing a policy of “systematic concealment,” withholding accurate casualty figures and, in limited disclosures, publishing figures significantly lower than those documented through field investigations.

At least 720 civilianskilled in the first month of the war

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

At least 720 civilians have been killed, accounting for 10.5% of total fatalities. Among the civilian victims, Hengaw has verified the deaths of 150 children and 190 women.
State media and Iranian officials previously claimed that 167 children were killed in an attack on a school in Minab. However, one month later, the identities of only 58 victims have been confirmed, including 48 children and 10 adults.
In a subsequent official update, authorities revised the number of children killed to 120, stating that 47 of the victims were school staff members and parents.
Despite these revisions, the identities of only the same 48 children have been publicly disclosed.

Hengaw has also received multiple reports confirming that Iranian military forces have withdrawn from formal bases and are instead stationing themselves in civilian locations, including schools, student dormitories, and mosques within residential areas. Under international humanitarian law, including the Geneva Conventions, such actions may constitute the use of human shields, placing civilian lives at serious risk.

Heavy military casualties in Kurdistan and continued concealment of statistics

During the first month of the war, intensive airstrikes by Israeli and U.S. forces targeted military and government positions in 35 cities across the provinces of Ilam, Kermanshah, Kurdistan (Sanandaj), and West Azerbaijan (Urmia). At least 250 military bases and security centers were struck in these areas.

According to Hengaw’s findings, at least 1,540 Iranian military and government personnel were killed in these four provinces alone.

In addition, at least 107 civilians, including 11 children and 9 women, were killed in these attacks. The highest numbers of civilian casualties were recorded in the cities of Urmia, Sanandaj, Divandarreh, Ivan-e Gharb, Ilam, Naqadeh, Bukan, and Kermanshah.

In its previous report, Hengaw noted that Iranian security bodies have consistently withheld accurate military casualty figures, particularly in Kurdistan When figures are released, they significantly underrepresent the realities documented on the ground. Hengaw reiterates the urgent need for transparency in identifying victims and for the protection of civilian lives in accordance with international humanitarian law.

Hengaw’s Call

Referring to the Fourth Geneva Convention on the protection of civilians during war, Hengaw states that all parties involved in the conflict are obligated to make a clear and absolute distinction between military and civilian targets.

Hengaw calls on the international community, especially the United Nations Security Council and human rights monitoring bodies, to pressure the parties to the conflict and to closely monitor the Islamic Republic’s policy of concealment, and to immediately activate protective mechanisms to safeguard civilian lives.