Tuesday, August 10, 2010

DTN News: Afghanistan TODAY August 11, 2010 - Afghan Civilian Casualties Up 31% According To U.N. Report

DTN News: Afghanistan TODAY August 11, 2010 - Afghan Civilian Casualties Up 31% According To U.N. Report
Source: DTN News / Xinhua
(NSI News Source Info) KABUL, Afghanistan - August 11, 2010: Afghan civilian casualties rose by 31 percent in the first half of this year, the United Nations said while releasing a report here Tuesday.

"Tactics of Taliban and other anti-government elements are behind 31 percent increase in conflict-related Afghan civilian casualties in the first six months of 2010 compared with the same period in 2009," the report said.

Police check the blast site in Kandahar, south Afghanistan, Aug. 2, 2010. A suicide car bombing targeted a local official of Afghanistan's southern Kandahar province killed four civilians including two children Monday morning. (Xinhua/Zalmay)

Among those killed or injured by Taliban and other anti- government militants were 55 percent more children and six percent more women than in 2009, it further said.

"Afghan children and women are increasingly bearing the brunt of this conflict. They are being killed and injured in their homes and communities in greater numbers than ever before," said Staffan de Mistura, Special Representative of the Secretary-Genera.

It also said that casualties attributed to pro-government forces fell down 30 percent during the same period, driven by a 64 percent decline in deaths and injuries caused by aerial attacks.

"From 1 January to 30 June 2010, UNAMA Human Rights Unit documented 3,268 civilian casualties including 1,271 deaths and 1, 997 injuries," the report further asserted.

Anti-government militants, according to the report were responsible for 2,477 casualties (76 percent of all casualties, up 53 percent from 2009) while 386 were attributed to pro-government elements' activities (12 percent of all casualties, down from 30 percent in 2009).

Using Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs) and suicide attacks by militants, according to the report had largely contributed to more civilian casualties.

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