Afghan death toll soars to 8,000 last year
Posted by CD | Posted in International Politics, Middle Eastern Affairs, Social Issues | Posted on 03-11-2008 | No Comments »
The United Nations has delivered a grim assessment of the conflict in Afghanistan, reporting that violence increased sharply last year and resulted in the deaths of more than 8,000 people, at least 1,500 of them civilians.
In a report to the security council, the UN secretary general, Ban Ki-moon, said the number of violent incidents rose from an average of 425 a month in 2006 to 566 each month last year.
The number of suicide attacks rose to 160 in 2007 from 123 in 2006 — with 68 attempts thwarted in 2007 compared with 17 in 2006, he said.
Ban claimed that while the insurgency drew strength from local people, much of the violence was led from abroad. “The support of foreign-based networks in providing leadership, planning, training, funding and equipment clearly remains crucial to its viability,” he said.
Current violence in Afghanistan is at its highest level since a US-led invasion in 2001 to oust Taliban rulers.
