In the first half of 2017, 1,662 civilians were killed and more than 3,500 injured in Afghanistan. The number of civilian casualties as a result of the conflict in the country reached its highest point in 2016, when more than 11,500 people were killed or wounded by the fighting between the Afghan government and anti-government groups.

Deaths and injuries from suicide bombings and other "complex attacks" rose 15 percent in 2017, according to a new report by the UN Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA). At least 40 percent of all civilian casualties were caused by anti-government forces, including the Taliban, and in attacks claimed by the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) group, the report said.

Fighting in several areas of Afghanistan continues, as this chart shows. The Taliban has gained ground in several key places in the country.