Over 2,000 Dead As Middle East Conflict Widens

Since the United States and Israel launched coordinated strikes on Iran on February 28, the conflict has spread across several parts of the Middle East, with hundreds of casualties reported across the region.

According to AFP, these figures are based on reports from governments, militaries, health authorities, and rescue organisations in the affected countries. However, the agency noted it has not been able to independently verify all casualty figures due to limited access to some areas.

Iran’s Ministry of Health said on March 8 that more than 1,200 people have been killed, including about 200 women and 200 children under the age of 12, while over 10,000 civilians have been injured.

However, the U.S based Human Rights Activists News Agency (HRANA) reported on March 11 that at least 1,825 people have died. The group said the victims include 1,276 civilians, among them at least 200 children, 197 military personnel, and 352 others whose status has not yet been confirmed.

AFP said reporting restrictions in Iran have made it difficult to access strike locations or independently verify casualty figures.

Israeli authorities and emergency responders say 14 people have been killed since the conflict began.

According to an AFP tally based on official announcements, 12 civilians, including four minors, were killed by Iranian missile attacks inside Israel.

The Israeli military also confirmed that two soldiers were killed in combat operations in southern Lebanon.

Lebanon said on Friday that at least 773 people have been killed since March 2 during clashes between Israel and the militant group Hezbollah.

The Lebanese authorities said the victims include 103 children.

The Lebanese army also confirmed that three of its soldiers were killed during the fighting, while Hezbollah has not released any official figures on its losses.

Authorities across Gulf countries and the United States Central Command (CENTCOM) said 26 people have been killed since Iranian attacks began, including 11 civilians.

The remaining casualties were military or security personnel, among them seven U.S. service members.

In Kuwait, officials reported six deaths, including two soldiers, two border guards and two civilians, one of them an 11-year-old girl.

The United Arab Emirates reported six deaths, including four civilians and two military personnel who died after a helicopter crashed due to a technical fault.

Saudi Arabia recorded two civilian deaths, while lBahrain also confirmed two fatalities.

In Oman, authorities reported that a mariner died at sea, while two others were killed in a drone strike on an industrial area.

Meanwhile, Qatar reported 16 people injured but no fatalities.

CENTCOM separately confirmed that six U.S. service personnel were killed in Kuwait and one in Saudi Arabia.

Officials and armed groups say at least 46 people have been killed in Iraq since the conflict began.

France confirmed that an Iranian drone killed a French soldier in Iraq’s autonomous Kurdistan region.

The U.S. military also said a refuelling aircraft crashed in western Iraq, killing all six crew members, although the incident was not linked to hostile fire.

Pro-Iran armed groups and security sources say 32 Iran-backed fighters were killed in strikes they blamed on the United States and Israel.

Kurdish rebel groups also reported that five Iranian Kurdish militants were killed in strikes attributed to Iran in northern Iraq.

Security officials further confirmed that an airport guard was killed in a drone attack on Erbil airport, while a civilian died after being hit by rocket shrapnel following a strike southeast of Baghdad.

Jordan’s military spokesman, Brigadier General Mustafa al-Hiyari, said 14 people were injured across the country after debris from Iranian missiles and drones fell in several locations.

No deaths have been reported.

Syrian state media said eight people were injured after debris from exchanges of fire between Iran and Israel fell in parts of the country on Monday.