- United States military operations resulted in the deaths of 153 civilians and wounded 243 others throughout 2025, representing a sharp escalation compared to the two civilian fatalities recorded in 2024.
- An official Pentagon assessment submitted to the U.S. Congress revealed that every confirmed civilian death and injury in 2025 stemmed from three targeted airstrikes conducted in Yemen in April of that year.
- The official Pentagon report excludes over 200 deaths resulting from controversial anti-narcotics maritime strikes in the Caribbean and Pacific, which rights organizations have fiercely criticized as extrajudicial killings.
A newly released United States Department of Defense assessment submitted to Congress has revealed that U.S. military operations caused the deaths of 153 civilians and left 243 others injured during the course of 2025.
Eko Hot Blog reports that the figures mark a significant and sharp increase in noncombatant harm compared to 2024, when official Pentagon assessments acknowledged just two civilian deaths and two injuries globally.
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According to details of the annual report provided to the U.S. Congress and corroborated by defense officials, all of the civilian fatalities and injuries formally acknowledged by the Pentagon for 2025 occurred during three specific military strikes in Yemen in April 2025.
The strikes were executed under the umbrella of operations led by U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) designed to disrupt and degrade the operational capabilities of Iran-backed Houthi militants in the region.
U.S. Central Command determined in its review that it was “more likely than not” that civilian casualties resulted from the three specific bombardments in April.
The report indicated that one strike on April 6 near the Yemeni capital of Sanaa resulted in five civilian fatalities.
A second strike on April 17 near the strategic Ras Isa Port killed 80 civilians and injured 171 others. A third strike on April 28 in the vicinity of Saada claimed the lives of 68 civilians.
Furthermore, the Pentagon report noted that as of February 2026, CENTCOM was actively reviewing 15 additional reported incidents in Yemen following claims submitted by non-governmental monitoring organizations.
Noticeably absent from the Pentagon’s official civilian casualty tally are casualties arising from maritime strikes conducted in the Caribbean Sea and Eastern Pacific Ocean.
The U.S. military has carried out repeated strikes on maritime vessels accused of transporting illicit narcotics, classifying those targeted as “narco-terrorists”.
According to tallies compiled by international news agencies from official statements, those vessel strikes have resulted in more than 200 deaths since September 2025.
However, as of February 1, 2026, U.S. Southern Command (SOUTHCOM) assessed that there were no incidents in its area of responsibility where civilian harm “more likely than not” occurred, maintaining that those targeted met operational criteria.
This position has drawn heavy condemnation from international human rights bodies, including Human Rights Watch and Amnesty International, which have characterized the maritime vessel strikes as unlawful extrajudicial killings.
Additionally, legal rights groups such as the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) have described the government’s justifications for the lethal maritime operations as unsubstantiated and lacking due legal process.
The dramatic rise in acknowledged civilian deaths highlights growing international concern over military engagement strategies and transparency in reporting noncombatant casualties during international armed conflicts.
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