Civilian death toll in Afghanistan reaches record high – UN

The number of civilians killed in Afghanistan in the first six months of 2018 has hit a record high, according to the United Nations. Despite last month’s ceasefire, the UN Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) says 1,692 civilians have been killed this year so far, the most recorded in the same time period since records began in 2009. The agency did note, however, that the overall number of casualties including injuries (5,122) is down 3 percent. The UN figures also show a 15 percent drop in the number of women and children casualties in the war-torn country.