Afghan watchdog records 80 pc increase in civilian casualties
Aug 01, 2021
Kabul [Afghanistan], August 1 : As many as 1,677 civilians were killed and 3,644 more were injured in Afghanistan in the first six months of this year, showing an 80 per cent increase of casualties compared to the same period in 2020, the Afghanistan Independent Human Rights Commission (AIHRC) said on Sunday.
According to the AIHRC report, these killings took place in 1,594 different security incidents.
"Important to note that the total number of civilian casualties in the first six months of 2020 was 2,957, including 1,213 killed and 1,744 injured. A comparison of the abovementioned figures shows that civilian casualties have increased by 80 percent in the first six months of 2021 compared with the first six months of 2020," the report said.
The number of women civilian casualties in the first six months of 2021 is 504 in total which includes 154 killed, and 350 injured. The number of women civilian casualties in the first six months of 2020 was 297 in total which included 126 killed, and 171 injured.
According to AIHRC findings from armed conflicts in the country, out of the total number of civilian casualties in Afghanistan in the first six months of 2021, the Taliban is responsible for 56 percent, pro-government forces are responsible for 15 percent, Daesh is responsible for seven percent, and unknown perpetrators are responsible for 22 percent.
The Taliban is responsible for 2,978 civilian casualties (917 killed, and 2,061 injured) in the first six months of 2021. The war tactics by the Taliban include the use of IEDs, rocket fires, target killing, and ground battles, the report said.
The number of civilian casualties by the Taliban in the first six months of 2021 compared with the same period in the previous year has been doubled. The Taliban was responsible for 1,438 civilian casualties (542 killed, and 896 injured) in the first six months of 2020.
Unknown perpetrators were responsible for another 1,190 civilian deaths and injuries in the first half of this year, including 425 civilians killed and 765 civilians injured. These attacks have not been claimed by any groups or individuals.
