Death toll hits 5,300, including 511 civilians, in first 18 days of war: Hengaw’s fifth report

Hengaw – Tuesday, March 17, 2026

On the 18th day of the war between the United States, Israel, and the Islamic Republic of Iran, the Hengaw Organization for Human Rights reports a sharp rise in casualties, with civilians increasingly affected by the expanding scope of hostilities.

Data documented by Hengaw confirms that at least 5,300 people have been killed during the first 18 days of the war. Among them, 511 civilians account for 9.6% of total casualties, while 4,789 are Iranian military personnel.

Widespread strikes target military and state infrastructure across iran

From February 28 to March 17, 2026, airstrikes and missile attacks by U.S. and Israeli forces have targeted military and government facilities in at least 178 cities across 25 provinces.

Strikes have hit a broad range of sites, including IRGC bases, Basij centers, military airports, missile installations, police stations, intelligence headquarters, judicial institutions, army barracks, and special forces units.

Hengaw documents 4,789 military personnel killed, with the highest losses among the air force, IRGC, and army units. The provinces of Tehran, Kermanshah, Hormozgan, Alborz, Kurdistan (Sanandaj), and Sistan and Baluchestan have recorded the highest military death tolls.

Iranian authorities continue to systematically conceal casualty figures, withholding accurate data and releasing significantly reduced numbers that fail to reflect the scale of losses.

Civilian casualties rise sharply, including children and women

Hengaw confirms that at least 511 civilians have been killed, including 120 minors and 160 women.

The highest number of civilian casualties has been recorded in Hormozgan Province, where a deadly attack on the “Shajareh Tayyebeh” school in Minab killed a large number of elementary school girls.

Additional civilian deaths, including dozens of women and children, have been documented in Tehran, Kurdistan (Sanandaj), Kermanshah, Fars, Razavi Khorasan, Qazvin, Alborz, Ilam, Markazi, Lorestan, West Azerbaijan (Urmia), and East Azerbaijan.

State media initially reported 167 children killed in the Minab school attack. However, 18 days after the incident, only 58 victims have been identified, including 48 children and 10 adults.

Hengaw has documented that Iranian military forces have relocated into civilian spaces, including schools, student dormitories, and mosques in residential areas, after abandoning formal bases. This practice places civilians at direct risk and violates international humanitarian law, including the Geneva Conventions, which prohibit the use of civilian areas for military purposes and the use of human shields.

Heavy losses in kurdistan amid intensified strikes

In the provinces of Ilam, Kermanshah, Kurdistan (Sanandaj), and West Azerbaijan (Urmia), sustained airstrikes have targeted military and security sites across 35 cities.

Hengaw confirms that at least 223 military installations have been struck in these regions.

During this period, at least 1,350 military personnel have been killed in these four provinces alone. In addition, at least 90 civilians have lost their lives, with the highest casualties recorded in Urmia, Sanandaj, Divandarreh, Ivan, Ilam, Naqadeh, Bukan, and Kermanshah.

Authorities continue to withhold accurate casualty data, particularly in Kurdistan, where official figures remain significantly lower than those documented on the ground.

Hengaw calls for urgent international action

The Hengaw Organization for Human Rights stresses that all parties to the conflict are legally obligated to distinguish between civilian and military targets under the Fourth Geneva Convention.

Hengaw calls on the international community, including the United Nations Security Council and global human rights bodies, to take immediate action to ensure civilian protection and to hold all parties accountable.

The organization further urges increased scrutiny of the Iranian government’s systematic information suppression, which obstructs transparency and undermines efforts to protect civilian lives.