Pentagon reports 153 civilian casualties resulted from American military actions in 2025

A US official cited a Pentagon assessment on Tuesday, revealing that US military operations resulted in the deaths of 153 civilians and injuries to 243 others in 2025, marking a significant increase from the previous year.

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In 2024, the Pentagon reported that only two civilians were killed and two were injured by US military operations, a stark contrast to the much higher numbers recorded in 2025.

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A Reuters report published on Wednesday shed more light on the Pentagon's findings, stating that all civilian casualties in 2025 were attributed to three US strikes in Yemen that took place in April of that year.

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The US Central Command assessed that these three strikes "more likely than not" caused harm to civilians, according to the Pentagon report.

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As of February 2026, US Central Command was still reviewing 15 other incidents in Yemen, which were brought to their attention by non-governmental organisations.

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The US military has stated that its operations in Yemen are focused on weakening the capabilities of Iran-backed Houthi militants.

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The Pentagon assessment specifically excluded casualties resulting from US strikes against vessels in the Caribbean and Eastern Pacific.

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By February 1, 2026, the US Southern Command had determined that there were no incidents in which civilian casualties were likely caused by US military operations within their area of responsibility in 2025.

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The Trump administration has conducted strikes against vessels suspected of transporting narcotics in the Eastern Pacific, labeling the targets as "narco-terrorists".

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These strikes have resulted in the deaths of over 200 people since September 2025, based on Reuters' tally of reported death tolls following each strike.

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Human rights organisations, including Human Rights Watch and Amnesty International, have condemned the vessel strikes as unlawful extrajudicial killings.

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The American Civil Liberties Union has also criticised the Trump administration's claims about the targets, describing them as "unsubstantiated, fear-mongering claims".

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An independent verification by PUNCH Online on Wednesday confirmed the existence of the 11-page report on war.gov.