More than 1,000 civilians killed in IED blasts in Afghanistan since 2021: UN report

ISLAMABAD (AA): More than 1,000 civilians have been killed and nearly 2,700 others wounded since the 2021 Taliban takeover in Afghanistan in improvised explosive devise (IED) blasts.

The claim was made in a UN report released Tuesday.

According to the latest report by the UN Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA), 3,774 civilian casualties were recorded during the last two years.

Among the casualties were 1,095 deaths, said the report which covered the period between August 15, 2021 and May 30, 2023.

“Three quarters of these civilian casualties (2,814 civilian casualties: 701 killed, 2,113 wounded) were caused by indiscriminate IED attacks in populated areas, including places of worship, schools and markets,” it elaborated.

Overall civilian casualties have declined since the Taliban takeover.

“These attacks on civilians and civilian objects are reprehensible and must stop,” said Fiona Frazer, chief of UNAMA’s Human Rights Service.

“It is critical that the de facto authorities uphold their obligation to protect the right to life by carrying out independent, impartial, prompt, thorough, effective, credible, and transparent investigations into IED attacks affecting civilians,” Frazer added.

The report also revealed that majority of casualties resulted from attacks carried by the ISIS group.

Since the Taliban returned to power in Afghanistan in 2021, the ISIS has been attacking Taliban leaders and Afghan clerics. It has claimed responsibility for several attacks in the county, including many on mosques.