Growing civilian casualties from intense fighting in Afghanistan; thousands displaced from homes

At least one civilian has been killed and over 17 were wounded in two separate roadside bombings between Sunday to Monday.

On Sunday afternoon, a roadside bomb exploded in Charikar district, some 60 km north of Kabul, targeting a passenger bus. 17 people wounded in the explosion, TOLOnews reported.

In a separate incident, happened on Monday morning in the eastern district of Jalalabad in Afghanistan’s Nangarhar province, one person was killed and five were wounded when a passenger vehicle hit a roadside mine.

As the war intensifies, the country’s highways and connecting roads become more dangerous. The Taliban has been laying mines on these roads, with the intention of hitting military convoys. However, the insurgent group usually doesn’t take responsibility for those roadside bombings where civilians get hit.

According to the United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA), the civilian casualty increased by 29 percent in the first quarter of 2021 in comparison to the same period a year before. A total of 573 people were killed, 1210 got injured during the period.

Furthermore, the violence skyrocketed after 1 May this year, as the Taliban pressed their military advantage on the battlefield.

Thousands of civilians from the contested cities have been displaced. In the northern province of Kunduz, which is witnessing heavy clashes,  over 7000 people have been displaced from their homes in recent days.

In 2020, the Taliban insurgents were responsible for at least 45 percent of the total civilian casualty in Afghanistan, according to the data released by the UNAMA.