The United Nations on Sunday said the number of civilians killed or injured in Afghanistan conflict in 2015 is the highest since 2009 when the organisation started recording civilian casualties in the region, reported PTI. In its annual report on civilians in armed conflict, the UN said that there have been 11,002 civilian casualties including 3,545 deaths in fighting between Western-backed government forces and insurgent groups in the land-locked country last year. The report documented an overall increase of 4% in the numbers and a 14% increase in child casualties alone compared to 2014.

Though the United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan, which complied the report, assigned responsibility for 62% of the total casualties to anti-government elements, the report noted a surge in casualties caused the Afghan army and international troops. Casualties attributed to pro-government forces went up by 28% since 2014.