United Nations: The United Nations Mission to Afghanistan that tracks statistics in the 11-year-old war has said that the overall civilian causalities in 2012 declined some 12 percent to 2,754, as compared 3,131 in 2011.
According to an annual report published by the UN, the number of Afghan civilians killed in U.S. and NATO airstrikes dropped by nearly half last year to 126. The report came a day after President Hamid Karzai banned government forces from requesting foreign air support during operations in residential areas.
But while it was the first reduction in casualties in six years, the U.N. expressed concern about a spike in targeted killings and human rights abuses by armed groups, a worrisome trend as U.S. and other foreign troops prepare to withdraw combat troops by the end of 2014.
It also said the number of Afghan women and girls killed and injured in the conflict increased by 20 percent in 2012.
The report further blamed the Taliban and other insurgents for most of the civilian causalities throughout the country and said that they were responsible for 81 percent of the civilian casualties last year.
The report said that so-called anti-government elements killed 2,179 civilians and wounded 3,952, a 9 percent increase in casualties from 2011.
By contrast, the number blamed on U.S. and allied forces decreased by 46 percent, with 316 killed and 271 wounded in 2012.
Despite the decline, airstrikes remained the cause of most civilian deaths and injuries by the international military forces and 51 of those killed were children, the report said.
The death of civilians during military operations, particularly in airstrikes, has been among a major source of acrimony between Karzai’s government and foreign forces.
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