News / Asia

Rights Commission: Afghan War Kills 1,325 Civilians This Year

TEXT SIZE - +

An Afghan rights group says more than 1,300 civilians in Afghanistan have been killed so far this year, an increase of about five percent from this time last year.

Afghanistan's Independent Human Rights Commission said Sunday the Taliban is responsible for 68 percent of the 1,325 deaths, while Afghan and NATO troops were to blame for 23 percent.  

The commission said responsibility for the other civilian deaths could not be determined.

Meanwhile, Afghan officials say a suicide car bomber struck a police convoy in the western province of Herat Sunday, killing at least three officers and wounding others.  Officials say a separate blast hit an Afghan police convoy in southern Kandahar province.

Also Sunday, the bodies of 10 medical team members gunned down in Badakhshan province a few days ago were flown to Kabul.   

The victims were six Americans, a German, a Briton and two Afghans. They had been working for a Christian aid group, International Assistance Mission.

U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton condemned the killings in a statement Sunday, calling the murders a despicable act of wanton violence.

The Taliban claimed responsibility for the killings, accusing the aid group of spying and seeking to convert Muslims to Christianity.

International Assistance Mission denies the accusations.

The group's director, Dirk Frans, said he last heard from the medical team Wednesday as it was returning to Kabul from an eye clinic in Nuristan province.  He said the team traveled through neighboring Badakhshan believing it to be safer.  

Frans said Afghan officials informed him they had found the bullet-riddled bodies of the aid workers near a forest on Friday.

The gunmen spared an Afghan driver who told police he begged for his life by reciting verses of the Koran.

Some information for this report was provided by AP, AFP and Reuters.

You May Like

Experts Weigh In on Challenges of Closing Guantanamo Prison

Former chief military prosecutor at Guantanamo delivers petition to White House with more than 370,000 signatures, demanding facility be closed down immediately More

Karzai to Discuss Enhancing Defense Ties with India

Afghanistan looking for more military aid as it prepares for withdrawal of NATO forces by next year More

India, China Pledge to Overcome Border Tensions

Indian prime minister and Chinese premier attempt to move past tense standoff in the Himalayas during Delhi talks More

Burmese President Opens US Visit with VOA Town Hall Meeting

Ahead of his meeting with President Obama Monday, Thein Sein answered questions on human rights and economic development in his country More

This forum has been closed.
Comments
     
There are no comments in this forum. Be first and add one

Featured Videos

Your JavaScript is turned off or you have an old version of Adobe's Flash Player. Get the latest Flash player.
Your JavaScript is turned off or you have an old version of Adobe's Flash Player. Get the latest Flash player.
Video

Video US Oil Surge Could Impact Mideast Geopolitics

The United States will account for a third of new oil supplies over the next five years, and will become energy self-sufficient in 20 years, according to a new report by the Paris-based International Energy Agency (IEA). Although U.S. oil imports from Arab Gulf countries increased last year, analysts predict the U.S. will lose its dependence on Middle East imports, which is expected to have a huge impact on international relations and the balance of power. VOA's Henry Ridgewell reports.