CASUALTIES OF MIDEAST WARS

Here is a review of casualties in Middle East conflicts since World War II:

GULF WAR, JAN. 17-FEB. 28, 1991: To date, the allies have reported 178 killed in action. No comprehensive Iraqi casualty figures have been issued, but an Iraqi official was quoted as saying 20,000 Iraqis were killed in the first 26 days of the war. Other estimates have put the number of Iraqi dead in the tens of thousands.

IRAN-IRAQ WAR, 1980-88: Iran has acknowledged 135,000 military and civilian dead, but Westernmilitary analysts put the figure two or three times higher. Iraq has not issued figures, but diplomats in Baghdad estimate at least 100,000 dead. Conservative Western estimates put casualties on both sides at 1 million dead or wounded.

SOUTH YEMEN CIVIL WAR, JANUARY, 1986: Officials put the death toll at nearly 4,250, but diplomatic sources said the figure was nearer 10,000.

ISRAELI INVASION OF LEBANON, 1982: Israel had 657 killed and 3,887 wounded. Syrian casualtieswere 370 killed and 1,000 wounded. The PLO had an estimated 1,000 killed with 6,000 captured. More than 19,000 Lebanese and Palestinians, mostly civilians, were killed and 30,000 wounded.

LEBANESE CIVIL WAR, 1975-90: An estimated 150,000 people killed. More than 1 million, a quarter of the population, were displaced.

ARAB-ISRAELI WAR, 1973: Israeli casualties were 2,569 killed and 7,500 wounded in the three-week conflict. Syria lost an estimated 3,500 dead, with 21,000 wounded. Egypt had an estimated 15,000 killed and 30,000 wounded. Iraqi casualties were 125 killed and 260 wounded.

JORDAN’S WAR WITH THE PLO AND SYRIA, 1970: Jordan had 600 killed, 1,500 wounded; Syrian casualties were 600 killed or wounded, and 10,000 Palestinians were killed or wounded.

ARAB-ISRAELI WAR OF ATTRITION, MARCH, 1969-AUGUST, 1970: Israel had 721 killed and 2,659 wounded. Arab casualties are not known, but at the peak of the fighting, Egypt alone had 300 casualties a day.

SIX-DAY ARAB-ISRAELI WAR, 1967: Egypt lost an estimated 11,500 killed and 10,000 taken prisoner, including nine generals, in the six days of combat. Syrian casualties were 1,000 killed and Jordan lost 6,094. Israel casualties were 777 killed and 2,811 wounded.

YEMEN CIVIL WAR, 1961-1969: Figures vary, but an estimated 70,000 Yemenis and Egyptians, who supported republican rebels against the royalists, were killed or wounded.

ISRAEL’S SINAI CAMPAIGN, 1956: Israel lost 172 killed, 817 wounded. Egyptian casualties were an estimated 2,000-3,000 dead. British and French casualties in the invasion of Suez, which coincided with Israel’s thrust into the Sinai desert, were 82 killed and 129 wounded.

ARAB-ISRAELI WAR, 1948-49: Israel lost 6,200 killed, and Arab losses were estimated at 2,000 regular soldiers killed. Thousands of Arab and Palestinian irregulars were also believed killed.

Source: Associated Press