3,774 Afghanis faced casualties

A total of 3,774 civilians faced casualties including 1,095 people were killed from August 15, 2021, to May 30, 2023, and most of them died due to the explosion of Improvise Explosive Devices (IED), Khaama Press reported citing UN Assistant Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) report.

The report, titled "Impact of Improvise Explosive Devices," said that since the Taliban took over Afghanistan on August 15, 2021, a total of 701 people were killed and 2,113 were wounded due to the IED.

"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," the report said.

The report highlighted that between the Taliban takeover on August 15 2021 and May 30 2023, UNAMA recorded 3,774 civilian casualties (1,095 killed, 2,679 wounded), among them 233 women (92 killed, 141wounded) and 866 children (287 killed, 579 wounded), as per Khaama Press.

The leading causes of civilian harm during this period were deliberate IED attacks (2,814 civilian casualties), explosive remnants of war (639 civilian casualties) and targeted killings (148 civilian casualties).

"UNAMA documented at least 2,814 casualties (701 killed, 2,113 wounded) as a result of IEDs from 15 August 2021 - 30 May 2023. Among those killed and wounded were 289 children (75 killed, 214 wounded) and 168 women (64 killed, 104 wounded)."

The majority of civilian casualties (1,701) as a result of IEDs were due to such attacks carried out by the self-identified Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant - Khorasan Province (ISIL-KP).

"A significant number of casualties (1,095), however, resulted from IED attacks which were never claimed and/or for which UNAMA was unable to attribute responsibility," Khaama Press reported citing the report.

Talking about the cases, Spokesperson for the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Liz Throssell, in a statement, said that the Improvised explosive devices, or IEDs, remain a significant concern in Afghanistan, characterized by a rise in attacks on places of worship and against the minority Hazara community.

UNAMA's figures also indicate a significant increase in civilian harm resulting from IED attacks on places of worship compared to the three-year period prior to the Taliban takeover.

IED attacks on places of worship, mostly Shia Muslim sites, accounted for more than one-third of all civilian casualties recorded during the reporting period, according to the statement released by the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights.