Afghanistan Civilian Casualties Surpass 10,000

There were over 10,000 civilian casualties reported in Afghanistan for 2019, according to a United Nations report. That marks the sixth straight year the war-torn country has had over 10,000 civilian casualties related to armed conflict.

With the numbers from 2019, Afghanistan has now experienced over 100,000 civilian casualties due to armed conflict since 2009. These include injuries and deaths from warfare like airstrikes, roadside bombs and suicide bombings.

The Taliban and various terrorist groups were responsible for the majority of civilian casualties in 2019, however the Afghan national security forces and total international forces (including the U.S.) accounted for roughly 24 percent of all civilian casualties.

Among other highlights in the report, the United Nations warned about the inaccuracies of airstrikes and greater risks of civilian casualties, especially as drone airstrikes from international players like the U.S. continue to increase.