Civilian IED casualties continue to rise in Afghanistan

Amidst recent critiques of U.S. and NATO operations in Afghanistan, civilians causalities from improvised explosive devices (IEDs) remain high, Reuters reported today. This month, 85 people, 40 of which were civilians, have been killed by Taliban IEDs. The wounded tolls have soared to 250 people, 118 of those civilians. Alternatively, 90 civilian causalities this month have come as the result of U.S.-led airstrikes.

On Tuesday, The Afghanistan Independent Human Rights Commission (AIHRC) reported a total of 136 total civilian deaths this year. The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) also reported 2,000 homeless Afghans and 173 destroyed homes as a result of a series of April airstrikes in Shindand. The high percentage of civilian causalities is prompting NATO to review its tactics, and the rising death toll is fueling growing discontent among Afghans complaining of a lack of development since the U.S. removed the Taliban from power in 2001.

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