KABUL, April 24 (Xinhua) -- A total of 581 Afghan civilians were killed and 1,192 others wounded in the Afghan conflict in the first three months of the year, the UN mission in Afghanistan said Wednesday.
"From 1 January to 31 March 2019, UNAMA documented 1,773 civilian casualties (581 deaths and 1,192 injured), including 582 child casualties (150 deaths and 432 injured). This represents a 23 percent decrease in overall civilian casualties as compared to the same period last year and is the lowest for a first quarter since 2013," a quarterly report on the protection of civilians in armed conflict of UNAMA found.
In the first quarter of 2019, the UNAMA continued to document high levels of harm to civilians from the armed conflict, the report said.
The ground engagements and clashes in countryside were the leading cause of civilian casualties over the period.
However, the overall reduction of civilian casualties was driven by a decrease in civilian casualties by suicide improvised explosive device (IED) attacks, according to the report.
"UNAMA notes the particularly harsh winter conditions during the first three months of the year, which may have contributed to this trend. It is unclear whether the decrease in civilian casualties was influenced by any measures taken by parties to the conflict to better protect civilians, or by the ongoing talks between parties to the conflict." the report said.
The mission expressed concerns over continued targeting of civilians and increase in civilian casualties from the use of non-suicide IEDs by anti-government militants, as well as significant increases in civilian casualties from airstrikes and search operations by security forces.
"UNAMA notes with concern that Pro-Government Forces were responsible for more civilian deaths than Anti-Government Elements during the first quarter of 2019. UNAMA attributed 17 percent of civilian casualties to the Afghan national security forces, 13 percent to international military forces, 2 percent to pro-Government armed groups, and 2 percent to multiple Pro-Government Forces," according to the report.
Meantime, the mission has welcomed Afghan President Mohammad Ashraf Ghani's instruction to national security and defense officials on March 13 to review the mechanisms and procedures used in military operations with a view to preventing civilian casualties.
