KABUL conflict in 2013.
Civilian casualties rose by 14 percent in the outgoing year when 2,959 non-combatants were killed and another 5,656 injured, the United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan said.
The report attributed 74 percent of the collateral damage to militants, 11 percent to pro-government forces and 10 percent to ground engagements. Five percent of civilian casualties were unattributed.
It said the IEDs used by insurgents caused 177 women casualties, up by 20 percent from 2012. As many as 1,756 child casualties, showing an increase of 34 percent, were recorded last year.
But the militant movement claimed in a statement that such report were prepared by the American embassy in Kabul and attributed to the world body.
“UNAMA claims having shared the report with all parties to the conflict, but we saw it in the media today,” the Taliban said, insisting they exercised maximum caution to spare civilians during operations.
Most of civilian casualties were caused by NATO-led troops’ airstrikes and night raids on civilian homes, the insurgents alleged.
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