Civilian deaths from foreign strikes shoot up

KABUL (Pajhwok): Afghan civilian deaths from foreign airstrikes conducted by the US and its allies have shot up by 330 percent since 2017.

About 700 Afghan civilians were killed in raids by the US and allies last year alone, according to Brown University’s Costs of War Project.

Citing the study, the BBC reported it was the highest figure since the first years of the US invasion of Afghanistan in 2001.

The increasing figures were tied to the US relaxing its rules of engagement in 2017. The rising air strikes were also linked to fewer US troops on the ground.

Researchers believe the increasing airstrikes appear to mount more pressure on the Taliban to negotiate peace with the Afghan government.

The study also noted an increase in aerial attacks by the Afghan forces since the US and Taliban inked a peace pact on February 29.

Eighty-six civilians were killed and 103 others wounded in strikes by the Afghan military in the first half of the current year, the study added.

PAN Monitor/mud