The U.N. says Afghan and international forces killed more civilians than insurgents in the first three months of the year, the first time the deaths caused by the government and its allies exceeded their enemies.

Still it was insurgents who were responsible for the majority of dead and wounded civilians combined, according to the U.N. Assistance Mission in Afghanistan's report, which was released in Kabul. Most of the deaths were the result of airstrikes, most often by international forces.

The report says 1,773 civilians were hurt or died in the first three months, which is a significant drop from the same period last year when 2,305 civilians were killed or wounded. Last year, many brutal suicide bombings were blamed for the high casualties.