A newly released United Nations report found that a record number of Afghan civilians were killed last year due to an increase in airstrikes by U.S. and Afghan forces and on-the-ground suicide bombings by insurgent groups, primarily the Taliban and the Islamic State. The now more than 17-year-old conflict claimed over 3,800 civilian lives in 2018—over 900 of which were children. The numbers represent an 11 percent increase in civilian deaths from the year before. The report comes as peace talks between the U.S. and the Taliban resume in Qatar today.
U.N.: Record Number of Civilians Killed in Afghanistan in 2018
HeadlineFeb 25, 2019