The United Nations said on Thursday that more than 10,000 civilians were killed or wounded in the ongoing war in Afghanistan in 2017, with militant bombings responsible for inflicting a major proportion of casualties.

Militants in Afghanistan have ramped up their assaults on urban centers in response to US President Donald Trump introducing a more aggressive US strategy in Afghanistan in August including a surge in air strikes on militant strongholds.

Read more: Terror attacks - Af-Pak relations hit a new low

What does the UN Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) report say?

The overall civilian toll last year was 3,438 killed and 7,015 wounded, down 9 percent from 2016.

2017 was the fourth consecutive year, where the UN recorded more than 10,000 civilian causalities.

Nearly two-thirds of all casualties were caused by anti-government elements with the Taliban and the "Islamic State" (IS) inflicting maximum damage.

Pro-government forces caused a fifth of the casualties with 16 percent attributed to Afghan forces, 2 percent to international forces.

Casualties caused by airstrikes jumped 7 percent.

Number of women killed in the conflict rose 5 percent.

Child casualties — 861 killed and 2,318 injured — fell by 10 percent compared with 2016.

Suicide and complex attacks caused 22 percent of all civilian casualties.

Read more: Trump is good for Afghanistan, tough on Pakistan, say experts

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'Chilling statistics'

Tadamichi Yamamoto, the UN Secretary-General’s Special Representative for Afghanistan said: "The chilling statistics in this report provide credible data about the war's impact, but the figures alone cannot capture the appalling human suffering inflicted on ordinary people, especially women and children."

UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Zeid Ra'ad al Hussein said: "Afghan civilians have been killed going about their daily lives — traveling on a bus, praying in a mosque, simply walking past a building that was targeted."

"Such attacks are prohibited under international humanitarian law and are likely, in most cases, to constitute war crimes. The perpetrators must be identified and held accountable," he said.

What is the Afghan conflict: Afghanistan has been mired in conflict since 2001 when the United States launched an offensive against the Taliban militants in response to the 9/11 attack. The US and NATO forces concluded their combat mission in 2014 and shifted to a training role. But the conflict rages on with a resurgent Taliban stepping up attacks and the emergence of an IS affiliate.

Deadliest attack in 2017: The worst attack since the UN mission began recording civilian casualties in 2009 occurred in Kabul on May 31 when a suicide attacker detonated a truck bomb, killing 92 civilians and injuring 491.

The endless battle for power in Afghanistan Fragile security Repeated attacks in Afghanistan in 2018 and 2019 have killed and wounded hundreds of innocent Afghans, and shown the world the fragile and worsening state of security in the conflict-stricken country. The incidents have plunged war-weary Afghan citizens into a state of despair and highlighted the limitations faced by the government in Kabul in ensuring public security.

The endless battle for power in Afghanistan A long series of attacks The violent incidents have made Afghanistan once again a staple of international headlines. Outfits like the Taliban and the "Islamic State" (IS) have claimed responsibility for the attacks. The Afghan government is under heavy pressure to restore security and take back territory controlled by a number of insurgent groups, including the Taliban and IS.

The endless battle for power in Afghanistan Spring offensive In 2018, the Taliban announced the start of their annual spring offensive, dismissing an offer of peace talks by President Ashraf Ghani. The militants, fighting to restore their version of strict Islamic law to Afghanistan, said their campaign was a response to a more aggressive US military strategy adopted in 2017, which aims to force the militants into peace talks.

The endless battle for power in Afghanistan Trump's Afghanistan policy US President Donald Trump unveiled a new strategy for Afghanistan in 2017, vowing to deploy more troops to train and advise Afghan security forces. Trump also pledged to support Afghan troops in their war against the Taliban and maintain US presence in the country for as long as there was a need for it. In 2019, he reversed course and promised a troop pullout.

The endless battle for power in Afghanistan Afghan peace process Despite President Ghani's offer in February 2018 for peace talks "without preconditions," the Taliban had until 2019 shown no interest, dismissing the peace overtures as a "conspiracy."

The endless battle for power in Afghanistan Pakistani support Pakistan has been under pressure from Kabul and Washington to stop offering safe havens to militants blamed for attacks in Afghanistan, a charge Islamabad denies and insists that its influence over the insurgents has been exaggerated. Kabul and Islamabad regularly trade accusations of harboring the other country's militants and the harsh language has underscored the strains between them.

The endless battle for power in Afghanistan Role of the warlords Apart from the Taliban, Afghan warlords exercise massive influence in the country. Last year, Hizb-i-Islami leader Gulbuddin Hekmatyar returned to Kabul after a 20-year exile to play an active role in Afghan politics. In September 2016, the Afghan government signed a deal with Hekmatyar in the hope that other warlords and militant groups would seek better ties with Kabul.

The endless battle for power in Afghanistan An inefficient government In the midst of an endless battle for power, President Ghani's approval ratings continue to plummet. Rampant corruption in the Afghan government and a long tug-of-war within the US-brokered national unity government has had a negative impact on the government's efforts to eradicate terrorism. Author: Shamil Shams



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ap/rt (AP, Reuters)</s>More than 10,000 Afghan civilians were killed or wounded in violence last year, the United Nations said Thursday, with militant bombings the main cause while airstrikes by U.S. and government forces inflicted a rising toll.

President Donald Trump introduced a more aggressive strategy in Afghanistan in August including a surge in air strikes. The militants have responded with attacks in Kabul in the past few weeks, killing nearly 150 people.

The overall civilian toll last year of 3,438 killed and 7,015 wounded was 9 percent lower than the previous year. But the figures highlighted the high number of casualties caused by militant bombs, the United Nations said.

"Attacks where anti-government elements deliberately targeted civilians accounted for 27 per cent of the total civilian casualties ... mainly from suicide and complex attacks," the United Nations said in a statement.

The deadliest attack since the U.N. mission began recording civilian casualties in 2009 was in Kabul on May 31 when a suicide attacker detonated a truck bomb, killing 92 civilians and injuring 491.

The air campaign by international and government forces accounted for 6 percent of civilian casualties in 2017, with 295 people killed and 336 wounded, a 7 percent increase over the previous year.

Related: Trump takes it to the Taliban; the Taliban takes it out on civilians

Women and children were heavily affected by the violence with 359 women killed last year, an increase of 5 percent over the previous year - and 865 injured.

The number of child casualties — 861 killed and 2,318 wounded — was 10 percent lower than 2016.

"Afghan civilians have been killed going about their daily lives - traveling on a bus, praying in a mosque, simply walking past a building that was targeted," U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights Zeid Ra'ad al Hussein said in a statement.

"Such attacks are prohibited under international humanitarian law and are likely, in most cases, to constitute war crimes. The perpetrators must be identified and held accountable."</s>The United Nations says more than 10,000 civilians were killed or wounded in Afghanistan last year, many of them as a result of suicide bombings and attacks. The U.N. report says the number of casualties dropped by 9 percent compared with 2016, but it could increase again this year as the government and international forces step up aerial attacks against insurgents. VOA's Zlatica Hoke has more.</s>KABUL - More than 10,000 Afghan civilians were killed or wounded in violence last year, the United Nations said on Thursday, with militant bombings the main cause while air strikes by US and government forces inflicted a rising toll.

US President Donald Trump introduced a more aggressive US strategy in Afghanistan in August including a surge in air strikes. The militants have responded with attacks in Kabul in the past few weeks, killing nearly 150 people.

The overall civilian toll last year of 3,438 killed and 7,015 wounded was 9 percent lower than the previous year. But the figures highlighted the high number of casualties caused by militant bombs, the United Nations said.</s>More than 10,000 Afghan civilians were killed or wounded in violence last year, the United Nations said on Thursday, with militant bombings the main cause while air strikes by U.S. and government forces inflicted a rising toll.

KABUL: More than 10,000 Afghan civilians were killed or wounded in violence last year, the United Nations said on Thursday, with militant bombings the main cause while air strikes by U.S. and government forces inflicted a rising toll.

U.S. President Donald Trump introduced a more aggressive U.S. strategy in Afghanistan in August including a surge in air strikes. The militants have responded with attacks in Kabul in the past few weeks, killing nearly 150 people.

The overall civilian toll last year of 3,438 killed and 7,015 wounded was 9 percent lower than the previous year. But the figures highlighted the high number of casualties caused by militant bombs, the United Nations said.

"Attacks where anti-government elements deliberately targeted civilians accounted for 27 per cent of the total civilian casualties ... mainly from suicide and complex attacks," the United Nations said in a statement.

The deadliest attack since the U.N. mission began recording civilian casualties in 2009 was in Kabul on May 31 when a suicide attacker detonated a truck bomb, killing 92 civilians and injuring 491.

Two-thirds of all casualties last year were inflicted by anti-government forces, with the Taliban responsible for 42 percent, Islamic State 10 percent and 13 percent caused by undetermined anti-government elements.

Pro-government forces caused a fifth of civilian casualties with 16 percent attributed to Afghan forces, 2 per cent to international forces and 1 percent each to pro-government armed groups and undetermined pro-government forces, the United Nations said.

The air campaign by international and government forces accounted for 6 percent of civilian casualties in 2017, with 295 people killed and 336 wounded, a 7 percent increase over the previous year.

While ground clashes were the second leading cause of civilian casualties, that toll was 19 percent lower than a record level seen in 2016.

Women and children were heavily affected by the violence with 359 women killed last year, an increase of 5 percent over the previous year - and 865 injured.

The number of child casualties - 861 killed and 2,318 wounded - was 10 percent lower than 2016.

"Afghan civilians have been killed going about their daily lives - travelling on a bus, praying in a mosque, simply walking past a building that was targeted," U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights Zeid Ra'ad al Hussein said in a statement.

"Such attacks are prohibited under international humanitarian law and are likely, in most cases, to constitute war crimes. The perpetrators must be identified and held accountable."</s>New report finds that while overall number of civilians killed or wounded decreased, casualties from suicide bombings, attacks soared

More and more Afghan civilians are being deliberately targeted by militant attacks and suicide blasts, new U.N. figures published on Thursday show, as the Taliban and the Islamic State group ramp up their assaults on urban areas.

The number of civilians killed or wounded across the country dipped by a welcome nine percent overall in 2017, the report by the United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) showed, with 10,453 total civilian casualties including 3,438 deaths and 7,015 wounded. But as the Taliban and the Islamic State group have come under more pressure they have increasingly carried out indiscriminate assaults in cities, with casualties from suicide bombings and attacks jumping by 17 percent.

Nearly 2,300 civilians were killed or wounded in suicide bombings and attacks in Afghanistan last year, more than any previous year of the conflict on record, the report said. The figures come after U.S. President Donald Trump said last August the American presence in Afghanistan would remain open-ended and Washington stepped up airstrikes on rural militant strongholds.

“2017 recorded the highest number of civilian casualties from suicide and complex attacks in a single year in Afghanistan,” the report said, with 605 killed and 1,690 wounded from such incidents. “Afghan civilians have been killed going about their daily lives—traveling on a bus, praying in a mosque, simply walking past a building that was targeted,” Zeid Ra’ad Al Hussein, U.N. high commissioner for human rights, was quoted as saying in the report. “When we see civilians being deliberately targeted, you wonder how long that this [has] to go on,” Tadamichi Yamamoto, the U.N.’s special representative in Afghanistan, told a press conference in Kabul on Thursday.

Militants claim to represent Afghan interests but are “killing people in the most appalling manner, creating terror and suffering,” he said.

The capital remained a top target, with 16 percent of all casualties during the year—a total of 1,831 people killed and wounded—occurring in Kabul alone.

Things have not improved so far in 2018, and Yamamoto warned the U.N. is concerned it will see “greater harm this year.”

Since Jan. 20, militants have stormed a luxury hotel, bombed a crowded street and raided a military compound in Kabul, killing more than 130 people. The majority of the victims in 2017 were killed or wounded by anti-government insurgents, according to the report.

However pro-government forces, including international troops, were responsible for 20 percent of the civilian casualties—a seven percent increase from 2016.

The casualties by pro-government forces were partly caused by the increase in aerial bombings by Afghan and foreign forces, the UNAMA said. The U.S. is the only international force known to be carrying out airstrikes in Afghanistan.

More than 28,000 civilians have been killed and over 52,000 wounded in Afghanistan since 2009 when officials started documenting the casualties, according to the U.N.</s>More than 10,000 civilians were killed or injured in the violent attacks in the war in Afghanistan last year, the United Nations has said.

The annual report released on 15 February by the UN’s mission in Afghanistan (Unama) showed the figure had dropped by 9% in 2017, compared with the previous year.

“The chilling statistics in this report provide credible data about the war’s impact, but the figures alone cannot capture the appalling human suffering inflicted on ordinary people,” said Unama’s chief, Tadamichi Yamamoto.

US president Donald Trump introduced a more aggressive strategy in Afghanistan last August, including a surge in airstrikes. Militants have retaliated with attacks in the capital, Kabul, in the past few weeks, killing nearly 150 people and wounding many others.

The total civilian toll last year was 3,438 killed and 7,015 wounded, according to the UN; 27% of the deaths were in attacks directed at civilians.

“When we see civilians being deliberately targeted, you wonder how long that this has to go on,” Yamamoto told a press conference in Kabul on Thursday.

Zeid Ra’ad Al Hussein, UN high commissioner for human rights, called for the “perpetrators to be held accountable”. “The people of Afghanistan, year after year, continue to live in insecurity and fear, while those responsible for ending lives and blighting lives escape punishment,” he said.

Unama reported a 5% rise in the number of women killed, at 359, with 865 injured. Child casualties stood at 3,179 (861 killed and 2,318 injured) – a 10% drop from 2016.

“We cannot sleep day and night due to the frightening sounds of firing,” an 11-year-old girl told Unama. She had been injured by a bullet during a military skirmish in Zabul province in September.

Despite the decline in overall figures, Danielle Bell, Unama’s human rights director, said: “It is the fourth consecutive year where we’ve seen more than 10,000 civilians killed or injured.

“It has indeed been a difficult year. While we did see an improvement on the battlefield by Taliban and pro-government forces, more still needs to be done.”

The International Rescue Committee’s Afghanistan director, Vicki Aken, said the numbers were “unspeakable”.

“For every child killed in this conflict, thousands more live in fear of want and need. Education in emergencies is a life-saving and life-changing intervention – helping children recover and cope with continuing adversity,” she said.

“Almost four decades of conflict has led to the education of successive generations of Afghan refugee children in particular being disrupted or forgotten. We face the threat of a lost generation in a population that has already suffered enough.

“With half the Afghan population living in Taliban-controlled or influenced areas, the prerogative for humanitarian agencies to provide assistance in contested areas is all the greater – and the IRC reaffirms its commitment to stay and deliver to those most in need, especially children.”

The deadliest attack since the UN began documenting civilian casualties in 2009 was in Kabul on 31 May last year, when a massive truck bomb killed 92 and injured 491.

Civilian casualties by pro-government international forces were partly caused by the increase in aerial bombings and attacks by Afghan and international forces, Unama said. However, the US has been the only international force carrying out airstrikes in Afghanistan.

More than 28,000 civilians have been killed and more than 52,000 wounded in Afghanistan since 2009 when UN officials started documenting the casualties.</s>The UN has said that more than 10,000 Afghan civilians were killed or wounded in 2017 as the 16-year war drags on with no end in sight.

The United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) report said that the main cause of deaths and injuries were bombings by militants, though casualties caused by US and Afghan air strikes have increased significantly.

In August, US President Donald Trump said he would send more US troops to Afghanistan in pursuit of victory in a war widely considered to be unwinnable.

Trump said he would loosen restrictions on American forces in Afghanistan, so US enemies "know they have nowhere to hide, that no place is beyond the reach of American might and American arms".

For Afghan civilians, this means more death and destruction.

The number of air strikes conducted by international and Afghan air forces "increased significantly" in 2017, the report says, killing 295 civilians and injuring 336.

This represented a 7% increase on 2016, and the highest number of casualties from air strikes in a single year since 2009. Overall, 6% of civilian casualties were caused by aerial operations.

UNAMA attributed 65% of casualties to anti-government elements; 42% to the Taliban; 10% to Isis in Afghanistan - known as Islamic State Khorasan Province - and 13% to undetermined and other anti-government elements.

Attacks where such anti-government forces deliberately targeted civilians accounted for 27% of the total civilian casualties recorded in Afghanistan in 2017. These were mainly from suicide and complex attacks directed at civilians or civilian objects.

The deadliest single incident of 2017 was also the most devastating since UNAMA began recording civilian casualties in 2009. The attack occurred in Kabul on 31 May when a suicide attacker detonated a truck bomb during the morning rush hour, killing 92 civilians and injuring 491.

Pro-government forces caused 20% of all recorded civilian casualties; 16% were attributed to the Afghan national security forces; 2% to international military forces and 1% each to pro-government armed groups and undetermined pro-government forces.

Unattributed crossfire during ground engagements between anti-government elements and pro-government forces resulted in 11% of civilian casualties.

Afghan women and children continue to suffer high levels of violence, the report found, with 359 women killed and 865 injured last year; an increase of 5% on 2016. Though child casualties decreased by 10%, 861 were killed with 2,318 injured.

"The chilling statistics in this report provide credible data about the war's impact, but the figures alone cannot capture the appalling human suffering inflicted on ordinary people, especially women and children," said Tadamichi Yamamoto, the Secretary-General's Special Representative for Afghanistan.

"Afghan civilians have been killed going about their daily lives - travelling on a bus, praying in a mosque, simply walking past a building that was targeted. The people of Afghanistan, year after year, continue to live in insecurity and fear, while those responsible for ending lives and blighting lives escape punishment," said UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Zeid Ra'ad Al Hussein.

"Such attacks are prohibited under international humanitarian law and are likely, in most cases, to constitute war crimes. The perpetrators must be identified and held accountable," he said.</s>For the fourth year in a row, more than 10,000 civilians have been killed or injured in the conflict in Afghanistan, the United Nations said in its annual report on civilian casualties Thursday.

The 2017 Annual Report on the Protection of Civilians in Armed Conflict in Afghanistan found that between Jan. 1 and Dec. 31, 2017, there were 10,453 civilian casualties — 3,438 deaths and 7,015 wounded.

"The chilling statistics in this report provide credible data about the war's impact, but the figures alone cannot capture the appalling human suffering inflicted on ordinary people, especially women and children," said Tadamichi Yamamoto, the U.N. special representative for Afghanistan.

The numbers compare to a total 11,434 casualties for the same period in 2016, when there were 3,510 deaths and 7,924 wounded.

But the decline in total deaths was tempered by the report's finding that the number of airstrikes conducted by international military forces and Afghan air forces increased significantly — and with it the number of airstrike-related deaths.

The United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan documented 631 civilian casualties — 295 deaths and 336 wounded — from aerial operations conducted by pro-government forces. That's a 7 percent increase from 2016, and the highest number from airstrikes in a single year since 2009. Aerial operations accounted for 6 percent of all civilian casualties in Afghanistan in 2017.

Afghanistan has been mired in conflict since 2001 when the United States invaded after 9/11. The U.S. and NATO forces formally concluded their combat mission at the end of 2014 and shifted to a training role, but a resurgent Taliban stepped up their attacks and an affiliate of the Islamic State group has also emerged. Between Jan. 1, 2009, and Dec. 31, 2017, the conflict in Afghanistan has claimed the lives of 28,291 civilians and wounded 52,366 others, according to the report.

Suicide and complex attacks — when assailants combine two or more modes of attack on one target at the same time — caused 22 percent of all civilian casualties in Afghanistan in 2017, with 16 percent of all civilian casualties occurring from such attacks in the capital of Kabul.

Nearly 2,300 civilians were killed or wounded in suicide bombings and attacks in Afghanistan in 2017, more than any previous year of the conflict on record.

Yamamoto, who also heads UNAMA, expressed deep concern at the increased harm to civilians caused by suicide attacks.

"I am particularly appalled by the continued indiscriminate and unlawful use of (improvised explosive devices) such as suicide bombs and pressure-plate devices in civilian populated areas," he said. "This is shameful."

UNAMA also documented an increase in attacks against places of worship, religious leaders and worshippers, recording 499 civilian casualties with 202 deaths and 297 injured, during 38 such attacks in 2017. This amounted to three times as many attacks as in 2016, double the number of deaths and 30 percent more total civilian casualties.

In 2017, women continued to suffer at levels comparable to 2016. Contrary to the overall decrease in civilian casualties, women casualties increased by less than one percent, and women deaths increased by 5 percent. Ground engagements remained the leading cause of harm to women, though UNAMA documented a decrease of 11 percent in women casualties from ground fighting. The next leading cause, suicide bombings and complex attacks, caused more than double the number of women casualties in 2017 than in 2016.

In line with the overall reduction in civilian casualties in 2017, child casualties decreased by 10 percent, compared to 2016. UNAMA documented 3,179 child casualties in 2017, of which 861 were deaths and 2,318 were wounded.</s>More than 10,000 Afghan civilians were killed or wounded in violence last year, the United Nations said on Thursday, with militant bombings the main cause while air strikes by U.S. and government forces inflicted a rising toll.

U.S. President Donald Trump introduced a more aggressive U.S. strategy in Afghanistan in August including a surge in air strikes. The militants have responded with attacks in Kabul in the past few weeks, killing nearly 150 people.

The overall civilian toll last year of 3,438 killed and 7,015 wounded was 9 percent lower than the previous year. But the figures highlighted the high number of casualties caused by militant bombs, the United Nations said.

“Attacks where anti-government elements deliberately targeted civilians accounted for 27 per cent of the total civilian casualties … mainly from suicide and complex attacks,” the United Nations said in a statement.
The United Nations report that in 2017, more than 10,000 Afghan civilians were killed or wounded in the war.