KABUL in the first month of 2018, the Civilian Protection Advocacy Group (CPAG) said on Thursday.

The deadliest attacks were carried out by the Taliban in the capital, where hundreds of people were killed and wounded, the CPAG said in a statement.

It called January the deadliest month for residents of Kabul, where 337 civilians, including women and children, were killed and wounded. Most of the victims were civilians.

Civilians also suffered casualties in 18 other provinces of the country, including Herat, Ghazni, Farah, Kunduz and Jawzjan, as a result of ground military offensives, airstrikes and landmines.

In addition, the CPAG statement added, suicide attacks, airstrikes, mortar shells, rockets and targeted attacks also contributed to last month’s casualties.

The CPAG voiced its concern over the surge in civilian casualties and suicide attacks by armed groups in cities. If the government did not take immediate steps to improve security, coming months could be more dangerous, the group warned.

CPAG denounced the recent spate of attacks by the Taliban as un-Islamic and said Islam forbids the murder of innocent human beings.

The CPAG believed the militants had no clear definition for civilians and public institutions. People were thus left with no option but to stand against the armed groups for their protection.

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