The United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) has released its latest quarterly report to the Security Council, revealing concerning statistics about civilian casualties in Afghanistan.
Over the past three months, the report indicates that 65 civilians were killed and 125 injured due to attacks and explosions.
UNAMA has not attributed these civilian deaths to any specific group. The report highlights that unexploded ordnance from past conflicts and deliberate attacks with improvised explosive devices are major causes of these casualties.
Particularly alarming are the three attacks on the Shia community in Kabul and Baghlan provinces, where 39 people were killed and 87 injured. ISIS has claimed responsibility for these attacks. The report, however, does not provide details on the recent series of attacks in Herat province on the Shia community.
The UNAMA report also sheds light on human rights violations, documenting "10 extrajudicial killings, 21 arbitrary arrests and detentions, and eight instances of torture and ill-treatment" of former government officials and members of security forces. Additionally, it recorded violations against individuals accused of affiliations with the National Resistance Front and ISIL-K, including four extrajudicial killings, 79 arbitrary arrests and detentions, and 15 instances of torture and ill-treatment.
The report further notes that at least 24 men and four women were publicly flogged, and it addresses the ongoing issue of arrests of women's rights activists, pointing out that no formal charges have been brought against them.
