Most Afghan deaths are caused by insurgents

PanARMENIAN.Net -

The number of civilians killed and injured in the Afghan conflict has risen for the fifth year in a row, a UN report reveals.

The UN Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (Unama) documented 3,021 civilian deaths in 2011 compared with 2,790 in 2010 and 2,412 in 2009.

Most deaths were caused by insurgents, the report found.

It said improvised explosive devices (IEDs) were being used more widely and suicide attacks had become deadlier.

However, it also said that civilian deaths from air strikes in support of the Afghan government rose in 2011.

"Afghan children, women and men continue to be killed in this war in ever-increasing numbers," said Jan Kubis, UN Special Representative for Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon.

"For much too long Afghan civilians have paid the highest price of war. Parties to the conflict must greatly increase their efforts to protect civilians to prevent yet another increase in civilian deaths and injuries in 2012."

The 2011 Annual Report on Protection of Civilians in Armed Conflict said a total of 11,864 civilian lives had been claimed by the conflict since 2007.

UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Navi Pillay, said it was "extremely worrying" that civilian casualties continued to rise year after year, BBC reported.