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| Civilian casualties up 40% in Afghanistan |
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| Written by Administrator | |
| Wednesday, 24 September 2008 | |
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KABUL -- The United Nations says the number of Afghan civilians killed in insurgent attacks and air strikes by foreign troops has risen almost 40% this year. The UN said the Taliban were responsible for 800 or some 55% of the 1,445 Afghan civilian deaths reported through the end of August. U.S., NATO and Afghan forces are responsible for the other 645 civilian deaths, or 45%. The UN says 395 of the civilian deaths caused by pro-government forces - about 60% - have occurred in U.S. and NATO air strikes. A total of 1,040 Afghan civilians died in the same eight-month period last year. According to the UN statement, 330 civilians died in August alone, including about 92 killed in a U.S.-led raid on the village of Azizabad. "This is the highest number of civilian deaths to occur in a single month since the end of major hostilities and the ousting of the Taliban regime at the end of 2001," said UN human rights chief Navi Pallay. After the bombing in Azizabad, the government announced it would review its "status of force" agreement with the U.S. and NATO and review whether to demand an end to air strikes and other operations in Afghan villages. The Interior Ministry, meanwhile, said insurgents have killed 720 police in the last six months, compared with about 925 police deaths in all of 2007. Meanwhile, NATO's International Security Assistance Force said its forces killed 10 insurgents in Wardak province on the Kabul-Kandahar highway on Sunday. Source: Edmontonsun.com |
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