Civilian deaths in Afghanistan rose 1 percent to 1,692 in the first half of 2018, the UN Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) said in its latest report released Sunday.

Although overall civilian casualties fell 3 percent, fatalities recorded in the first six months of 2018 were the highest half-yearly death toll since UNAMA started its systematic documentation of civilian deaths in 2009.

UNAMA also reported that 3,430 Afghans were wounded in the January-June period, a 5 percent drop from previous years.

In February, the UN said more than 10,000 civilians were killed or wounded in the ongoing war in Afghanistan in 2017, with militant bombings responsible for inflicting a major proportion of casualties.

Just hours after the latest UN report was published, at least 10 people were killed when a suicide bomber blew himself up in front of a government ministry building in capital, Kabul.

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Hope for peace

In June, Taliban militants temporarily accepted a government truce offer, raising hopes for peace in the war-ravaged country. However, the jihadists refused to extend it beyond the three-day Muslim festival of Eid.

"The brief ceasefire demonstrated that the fighting can be stopped and that Afghan civilians no longer need to bear the brunt of the war," Tadamichi Yamamoto, a senior UN official in Afghanistan, said in a statement on Sunday.

"We urge all parties to seize all opportunities to find a peaceful settlement — this is the best way that they can protect all civilians," he added.

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Protracted conflict

2017 was the fourth consecutive year in which the UN recorded more than 10,000 civilian causalities. Nearly two-thirds of all casualties were caused by anti-government elements with the Taliban and the "Islamic State" (IS) inflicting maximum damage.

Pro-government forces caused a fifth of the casualties, with 16 percent attributed to Afghan forces and 2 percent to international forces.

Afghanistan has been mired in conflict since 2001, when the US launched an offensive against Taliban militants in response to the 9/11 attacks on America. US and NATO forces concluded their combat mission in 2014 and shifted to a training role. But the conflict rages on with a resurgent Taliban stepping up attacks and the emergence of an IS affiliate.

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The worst attack since the UN mission began recording civilian casualties in 2009 occurred in Kabul on May 31, when a suicide attacker detonated a truck bomb, killing 92 civilians and injuring 491.

President Ashraf Ghani's government and the US have sought dialogue with the Taliban. Earlier this year, Ghani offered a political role for the Taliban, which the militant group rejected.

Kabul and Washington also accuse Islamabad of using some Islamist groups as proxies. The Trump administration has cut Pakistan's military aid, hoping the Islamic country will take decisive action against terrorists operating in the Afghanistan-Pakistan border region.

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Endless battle for power in Afghanistan Fragile security Repeated attacks in Afghanistan in 2018 and 2019 have killed and wounded hundreds of innocent Afghans, and shown the world the fragile and worsening state of security in the conflict-stricken country. The incidents have plunged war-weary Afghan citizens into a state of despair and highlighted the limitations faced by the government in Kabul in ensuring public security.

Endless battle for power in Afghanistan A long series of attacks The violent incidents have made Afghanistan once again a staple of international headlines. Outfits like the Taliban and the "Islamic State" (IS) have claimed responsibility for the attacks. The Afghan government is under heavy pressure to restore security and take back territory controlled by a number of insurgent groups, including the Taliban and IS.

Endless battle for power in Afghanistan Spring offensive In 2018, the Taliban announced the start of their annual spring offensive, dismissing an offer of peace talks by President Ashraf Ghani. The militants, fighting to restore their version of strict Islamic law to Afghanistan, said their campaign was a response to a more aggressive US military strategy adopted in 2017, which aims to force the militants into peace talks.

Endless battle for power in Afghanistan Trump's Afghanistan policy US President Donald Trump unveiled a new strategy for Afghanistan in 2017, vowing to deploy more troops to train and advise Afghan security forces. Trump also pledged to support Afghan troops in their war against the Taliban and maintain US presence in the country for as long as there was a need for it. In 2019, he reversed course and promised a troop pullout.

Endless battle for power in Afghanistan Afghan peace process Despite President Ghani's offer in February 2018 for peace talks "without preconditions," the Taliban had until 2019 shown no interest, dismissing the peace overtures as a "conspiracy."

Endless battle for power in Afghanistan Pakistani support Pakistan has been under pressure from Kabul and Washington to stop offering safe havens to militants blamed for attacks in Afghanistan, a charge Islamabad denies and insists that its influence over the insurgents has been exaggerated. Kabul and Islamabad regularly trade accusations of harboring the other country's militants and the harsh language has underscored the strains between them.

Endless battle for power in Afghanistan Role of the warlords Apart from the Taliban, Afghan warlords exercise massive influence in the country. Last year, Hizb-i-Islami leader Gulbuddin Hekmatyar returned to Kabul after a 20-year exile to play an active role in Afghan politics. In September 2016, the Afghan government signed a deal with Hekmatyar in the hope that other warlords and militant groups would seek better ties with Kabul.

Endless battle for power in Afghanistan An inefficient government In the midst of an endless battle for power, President Ghani's approval ratings continue to plummet. Rampant corruption in the Afghan government and a long tug-of-war within the US-brokered national unity government has had a negative impact on the government's efforts to eradicate terrorism. Author: Shamil Shams



shs/jlw (AP, Reuters, AFP)