52 civilians killed in past 5 months in Helmand

LASHKARGAH (PAN): A senior human rights official on Thursday said 52 civilians have been killed in violence-related incidents in southern Helmand province over the past five months.

Afghanistan Human Rights Commission chief for Helmand, Mohammad Bilal Siddique, told a press conference in Lashkargah, the provincial capital, mostly civilians fell prey to roadside bomb explosions, clashes and other insurgency-related incidents during the period.

The dead included nearly a dozen children and 10 women, Siddique said, adding another 57 civilians had been injured.

The human rights official urged the warring parties to take solid steps for preventing civilian casualties during their operations against each other.

He also said incidents of violence against women in Helmand were on the increase. The AIHRC office had received 18 cases of violence against women over the past five months and referred 11 of them to judicial organs.

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