US military operations killed 153 civilians and wounded another 243 people in 2025, marking a significant increase from the previous year, according to a Pentagon assessment cited by a US official.
The figures were included in a report submitted to the US Congress examining civilian casualties associated with American military operations during the year.
The latest assessment represents a sharp rise compared with 2024, when the Pentagon determined that US military operations had killed two civilians and injured another two.
According to the assessment, the civilian casualties recorded in 2025 were linked to military operations in Yemen, where the United States carried out strikes as part of its campaign against Iran-backed Houthi fighters.
Yemen Strikes Accounted for Casualties
The Pentagon assessment found that all of the civilian deaths and injuries recorded in its 2025 review resulted from three US strikes in Yemen in April.
US Central Command assessed that the three attacks were “more likely than not” to have caused civilian harm.
The Pentagon has also continued reviewing other reported incidents in Yemen. As of February 2026, officials were examining 15 additional cases following reports and information submitted by non-governmental organisations.
The US government has maintained that its military operations in Yemen were aimed at weakening the capabilities of Houthi fighters, particularly amid attacks and tensions affecting regional security and maritime shipping.
The civilian casualty figures have nevertheless renewed scrutiny of US military operations and the methods used to assess potential harm to people who are not directly involved in hostilities.
Other Strikes Not Included
The Pentagon’s assessment did not include casualties linked to another controversial category of US military action: strikes against suspected drug-trafficking vessels in the Caribbean and Eastern Pacific.
The Trump administration has conducted attacks against vessels it accused of transporting illegal narcotics and has described some of the people targeted in those operations as “narco-terrorists.”
More than 200 people have reportedly been killed in those strikes since September 2025, according to tallies published following the attacks.
Because those incidents were not included in the Pentagon’s civilian casualty assessment, the report’s figures do not represent the total number of people killed or injured in every US military operation carried out during the year.
US Southern Command, which oversees military operations across parts of the Caribbean and Latin America, said it had identified no incidents in its area of responsibility during 2025 where civilian casualties were assessed as more likely than not to have resulted from US military operations.
Rights Groups Question US Actions
Human rights organisations have strongly criticised the US strikes against suspected drug-trafficking vessels.
Human Rights Watch and Amnesty International have described the attacks as unlawful extrajudicial killings, raising concerns over the legal basis for using lethal military force against suspected narcotics traffickers.
The American Civil Liberties Union has also challenged the administration’s description of the individuals targeted in the strikes.
The organisation has argued that the US government has not publicly provided enough evidence to substantiate its claims regarding the nature of the targeted vessels and the people aboard them.
The criticism has added to a wider debate over transparency, accountability and the legal framework governing US military operations outside traditional war zones.
Sharp Increase From Previous Year
The increase in the Pentagon’s assessed civilian casualties is particularly notable when compared with the figures recorded in 2024.
The Pentagon assessed only two civilian deaths and two injuries resulting from US military operations that year. By contrast, the 2025 assessment recorded 153 deaths and 243 injuries.
The difference highlights the intensity of US military activity in certain conflict zones during 2025 and the challenges involved in preventing civilian harm during air and missile strikes.
While the Pentagon has acknowledged civilian harm in the Yemen operations reviewed, officials have continued to maintain that the strikes were conducted as part of efforts to counter threats posed by armed groups in the region.
The assessment is expected to face further scrutiny from lawmakers, human rights organisations and independent observers, particularly as questions continue over how civilian casualties are identified and whether all reported incidents are included in official reviews.
The report also comes amid broader international concerns over the use of military force, the protection of civilians and the legal responsibilities of governments conducting operations beyond their own borders.
As the Pentagon continues reviewing additional incidents in Yemen, further assessments could potentially add to the number of cases linked to US military activity in 2025.
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