Kabul: Attacks by Afghanistan’s Taliban and other insurgents soared in the first quarter of 2013, raising the grim prospect of an unusually violent year, a study by an independent group showed yesterday.
The violence mainly targets Afghan troops and police as foreign combat forces step back from the frontline in preparation for withdrawal from the country next year, according to the Afghanistan NGO Safety Office (ANSO).
ANSO reported 2,331 insurgent attacks in January-March, a 47 percent rise on the first quarter of last year.
The study found that 73 percent of all attacks during January-March were against Afghan soldiers or police. A further 10 percent targeted civilians seen as associated with the Kabul government. Only four percent were against foreign forces.
ANSO director Tomas Muzik described his organisation’s assessment as “grim”.
AFP
