Taliban reject UN report as one-sided

KABUL.

The report released last night said 3,188 civilians have been killed and another 6,429 injured during the first eleven months of the year, indicating a 20 percent rise over last year’s casualties, making 2014 the deadliest year for civilians since 2001.

The UN blamed Taliban insurgents, the Haqqani network and other militant outfits for 75 percent of civilian casualties this year.

In a statement, the movement said: “The report has been shared with our political office, which has rejected it. We once again reject the report as one-sided and far from just.”

It said the UN always prepared reports on civilian casualties on the basis of prejudice and political desires.

In their statement, the Taliban claimed most casualties among civilians had resulted from US airstrikes, citing the incident in central Parwan province’s Siagard district as an example. Five students were reportedly killed in a coalition airstrike in the district.

The rebels also accused the government-created Afghan Local Police (ALP) personnel of often killing and harassing civilians.

But officials said mostly civilians have been killed in suicide attacks carried out and claimed by Taliban.

The government has accused the Taliban of carrying out a suicide attack that killed 60 people in the Yahyakhel district of southeastern Paktika province.

Similarly, the Ministry of Interior says mostly civilians have been killed and wounded in recent suicide and bomb attacks in Kabul.

But the Taliban said civilians were rarely hurt in their attacks. The UN has held government forces responsible for 12 percent of civilian casualties in its latest report.

ma/mud

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