UN: civilian casualties in Afghanistan increased by 28%December 15, 2012 - 18:13 AMT PanARMENIAN.Net - Civilian casualties in Afghanistan increased by 28 percent between August 1 and October 31 this year, compared to the same period of last year, a recent United Nations report said. according to RIA Novosti. United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) released a new report on Friday saying that at least 967 civilians were killed and 1,590 others were injured within the third quarter of the year. According to the report, militants are responsible for 80 percent of the civilian casualties, while only 6 percent resulted from the Afghan security forces operations. A death cause for 10 percent of them remains unclear. "Armed clashes and improvised explosive devices constituted the majority of incidents," the report said. Some 13,431 civilians were reported as killed in Afghanistan by August since UN started tracking the deaths in 2007. NATO's International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) is scheduled to pull out the majority of its 130,000 forces from Afghanistan by the end of 2014. About 2,000 US militaries and 1,190 coalition troops have died since the Afghan war began 2001, according to iCasualties.org, an independent organization that tracks the deaths. Top stories Authorities said a total of 192 Azerbaijani troops were killed and 511 were wounded during Azerbaijan’s offensive. In 2023, the Azerbaijani government will increase the country’s defense budget by more than 1.1 billion manats ($650 million). The bill, published on Monday, is designed to "eliminate the shortcomings of an unreasonably broad interpretation of the key concept of "compatriot". The earthquake caused a temporary blackout, damaged many buildings and closed a number of rural roads. Partner news | Titus, Bilirakis lead legislation to sanction Azerbaijani war criminals Representatives Dina Titus (D-NV) and Gus Bilirakis (R-FL) have introduced the bipartisan legislation. Armenia: Defense Ministry warns against involving army in political processes The Ministry’s statement came after a video surfaced online, showing soldiers joining the protests in Tavush. Scholz hopes Armenia-Azerbaijan peace treaty will be signed this year German Chancellor Olaf Scholz hopes that a peace treaty between Armenia and Azerbaijan will be signed this year. Ucom equips four bus stops in Ijevan with free Wi-Fi Ucom now provides free Wi-Fi coverage in smart bus stops in four communities of Ijevan. |