The United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) confirmed a total of 1,662 dead civilians between January 1st and June 30, including 174 women confirmed as dead, and 462 as injured, for a general increase of 23 percent compared to the same period of 2016.
A total of 436 children lost their life, and 1,141 were injured.
Unama also said the use of bombs or explosives in the highways and air coperations in populated areas by civilians substantially contributed to the increase of victims.
Mohammad Arif, former official of the Afghan Armed Forces, said that with an evident increase of the clashes close to the urban centers or densely populated places, the governmental forces should avoid the use of heavy artillery.
"Terrorist group militants have often used people as human shields, but those of the army fell into their trap by using heavy weapons in densely populated areas", Arif said.
Meanwhile, anti-government forces caused the death of 1,141 civilians and injured 2,348, 12 percent more than in the first six months of last year.
These deaths and injuries represent 67 percent of the total number of civilian casualties, 43 percent attributed to the Taliban movement, five percent to the terrorist group Islamic State (ISIS) in the province of Khorasan and the rest, to unidentified attackers.
Most of the civil victims occurred in a single attack in the Afghan capital, Kabul, on May 30, when a bomb car killed at least 92 people and injured almost 500. This was considered the most mortal attack documented by Umana since 2001.
"The continued use of improvised, indiscriminate, disproportionate and illegal explosive devices, is particularly frightening and must be immediately stopped", he added.
According to UN figures, more than 26, 500 civilians died and almost 49,000 were injured, as a result of an armed conflict in Afghanistan since January 2009.
PL/MNA
Your Comment