The United Nations says the number of civilians killed in the war in Afghanistan jumped to a record high last year.
In an annual report on civilian deaths in the conflict, the UN mission in Afghanistan says more than 2,700 civilians were killed in 2010, a 15 percent rise on the previous year.
Insurgents were responsible for 75 percent of those deaths.
Sixteen percent were attributed to foreign and government forces, no responsibility could be determined for 9 percent of civilian deaths.
Abductions rose 83 doubled, and violence continued to spread from the south to the north, east, and west.
But the most "alarming" trend, the report said, was that assassinations doubled, with government officials, aid workers and civilians perceived to be supportive of the Afghan government or NATO-led foreign forces being targeted.
compiled from agency reports
In an annual report on civilian deaths in the conflict, the UN mission in Afghanistan says more than 2,700 civilians were killed in 2010, a 15 percent rise on the previous year.
Insurgents were responsible for 75 percent of those deaths.
Sixteen percent were attributed to foreign and government forces, no responsibility could be determined for 9 percent of civilian deaths.
Abductions rose 83 doubled, and violence continued to spread from the south to the north, east, and west.
But the most "alarming" trend, the report said, was that assassinations doubled, with government officials, aid workers and civilians perceived to be supportive of the Afghan government or NATO-led foreign forces being targeted.
compiled from agency reports