Civilian Casualties Soar Again

Civilian deaths in the escalating Afghan war soared by 24 per cent during the first half of 2009 compared with the same period last year, the United Nations said yesterday. The UN Assistance Mission to Afghanistan pointed to stepped-up military operations by the United States and its allies, especially air strikes, for the steady increase in Afghan civilian casualties over the past two years.
According to the UN, at least 1,013 civilians were killed in the first six months of this year compared with 818 for the same period in 2008 – an increase of 24 per cent.