CPWG records 390 civilian casualties in 6 months in Herat

HERAT CITY (Pajhwok): The Civilian Protection Working Group (CPWG) in western Herat province on Monday expressed concern over high civilian casualties and spike in violence, asking the conflict parties to declare ceasefire during the holy month of Ramadan.

CPWG members and a number of civil society activists held a meeting and said 73 civilians had been killed in clashes between Taliban and Afghan forces in Herat province since September 22, 2020 until now.

Mohammad AsifFaizyar, a member of the group, said that 317 more civilians were injured during armed fights in the capital of Herat and its districts during the period.

He said that five civilians were killed and 71 others wounded since the beginning of new solar year that starts from March 21.

“We lost 73 civilians while 317 others injured in the last six months in Herat, it means we will not have more casualties than that even if we are in a war front,” he said.

He asked the warring sides to follow conflict norms and avoid civilian losses.

Sayed Ashraf Sadat, another member of the group, said that the violence was mostly caused by Taliban and 90 percent of armed fights occurred in residential areas.

He also asked the conflict parties, particularly the Taliban, to stop violence during the holy month of Ramadan.

The council and the working group of civilian protection, Civil Society Institutes’ Network and other civil organizations asked all groups involved in the Afghan conflict to stop hostilities during the month of Ramadan and make this period a beginning of peace in the country, he said.

A number of other civil activists and women’s rights defenders in the meeting also voiced on the warring sides to declare ceasefire during the month of Ramadan and avoid violence as a leverage for Turkey conference.

Besides civilian fatalities, Afghan forces also suffered high losses in Taliban attacks in the last six months in the country.

Mds/ma