KABUL (SW) – President spokesman Sediq Seddiqi has blamed the Taliban for planting more landmines in Afghanistan than the former Soviet army during invasion of Afghanistan.
In a series of tweets, Seddiqi charged the Taliban for being the main drivers behind surging civilian casualties in Afghanistan.
A day earlier, the UN said it has documented 5,939 civilian casualties in the first nine months of 2020 in Afghanistan.
Sharing the latest figures, Deborah Lyons, the Secretary-General’s Special Representative for Afghanistan said some 2,117 civilians got killed and 3,822 others got injured from 1 January to 30 September 2020. She stressed all parties to the Afghan conflict can immediately prioritize discussions and take urgent steps to stem the terrible harm to civilians.
A graphic illustration of the type of harm caused to civilians in Afghanistan is the fact that more than four out of every ten civilian casualties are children or women. Child casualties amounted to 31 per cent of all civilian casualties in the first nine months of 2020, and women casualties 13 per cent.
As per the UN report, pro-Government Forces (PGFs) were responsible for more than a quarter of all civilian casualties – 28 per cent. The Taliban insurgents have rejected the UN report.
As per the UN report, pro-Government Forces (PGFs) were responsible for more than a quarter of all civilian casualties – 28 per cent. Civilian casualties attributed to PGFs decreased by 34 per cent in comparison to the same period in 2019, due mainly to the steep drop in international military forces (IMF) airstrikes since March, it said.
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