Afghan and US forces blamed for killing more civilians this year than Taliban have

In the first six months of the year, the conflict killed nearly 1,400 civilians and wounded about 2,400 more. Afghan forces and their allies caused 52% of the civilian deaths compared with 39% attributable to militants — mostly the Taliban, but also the Islamic State.

The higher civilian death toll caused by Afghan and US forces comes from their greater reliance on airstrikes, which are particularly deadly for civilians, the report said. The United Nations said airstrikes resulted in 363 civilian deaths and 156 civilian injuries.

“While the number of injured decreased, the number of civilians killed more than doubled in comparison to the first six months of 2018, highlighting the lethal character of this tactic,” the UN report said, referring to airstrikes.

Col Sonny Leggett, a spokesman for the US military, rejected the “methods and findings” of the UN report.

“We assess and investigate all credible allegations of noncombatant casualties in this complex environment, whereas others intentionally target public areas, use civilians as human shields and attempt to hide the truth through lies and propaganda,” Leggett said.

The Afghan government, in its response to the report, highlighted the casualties caused by the Taliban and then listed the measures its forces take to prevent civilian casualties.

The UN report comes as both sides try to increase their battlefield leverage amid continuing peace negotiations in Doha, Qatar, between the United States and the Taliban.

The Afghan government has pointed at deadly Taliban attacks in recent months as a sign that the insurgents are not genuinely seeking peace.

While the UN report showed that both sides are harming civilians, it found that overall civilian casualties had dropped by 27% compared to last year.

Civilian casualties from ground engagements, which cause the highest number of civilian casualties by pro-government forces, saw a 16% decline.

The reduction in civilian casualties caused by militants was largely because of a drop in the number of roadside bombs and other improvised explosives, the report said.

The UN report said 83% of casualties from airstrikes were attributed to “international military forces,” essentially pointing the finger at the US military, which is the only member of the international coalition in Afghanistan that carries out airstrikes. The Afghan Air Force was responsible for about 10%.

Afghan forces have largely fended off the Taliban’s advances this year but with a heavy reliance on US air power.

Fourteen American soldiers have died in Afghanistan this year. The latest fatalities were two paratroopers, part of the 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 82nd Airborne Division, the unit confirmed in a statement. They were killed Monday in an insider attack in southern Kandahar province when a man in an Afghan army uniform opened fire, according to Mohammad Sadiq, a spokesman for the Afghan army in the province.