DNA

ISLAMABAD, JAN 27 – The Afghan Independent Human Rights Commission (AIHRC) stated in a report on Wednesday that Over 2,000 civilians were killed or wounded in targeted assassinations and attempted assassinations last year.

According to a report, this attack method mainly targets civilian government employees, journalists, members of civil society, religious scholars, influential and prominent figures, members of the National Assembly and human rights defenders.

The AIHRC report further said that a total of 2,250 people were killed or injured in targeted assassination attacks and attempts including 1,078 killed and 1,172 injured last year. “Unfortunately, civilian casualties from assassinations and targeted killings in 2020 have almost tripled to 169 per cent compared to 2019,” the report stated. In 2019, a total of 834 civilians were killed and injured as a result of the use of assassination methods and targeted attacks. AIHRC stated that 65 women and 74 children were among the victims of this tactic who were killed, and 95 women and 290 children were among the wounded.

The watchdog noted in its report that suicide attacks had decreased by 23 per cent in 2020 compared to the previous year. Despite this, the number of civilian casualties from suicide attacks remained very high, AIHRC said. In 2020, civilian casualties from Taliban suicide attacks decreased by 44 per cent compared to 2019. In 2019, 1,195 civilians were killed or wounded in Taliban suicide attacks, killing 301 and wounding 894 while in 2020, that number dropped to 528 victims, including 65 killed and 463 injured.

In the civilian casualties caused by ISIS (Daesh Afghanistan) suicide attacks, in 2020, compared to 2019, there was a 33 per cent increase. In 2019, the total number of civilian casualties resulting from ISIL (Daesh Afghanistan) suicide attacks was 194 killed and wounded. In 2020, that number rose to 258 killed and injured.