Civilian deaths in Afghanistan significantly down in 2009: NATO

BRUSSELS. April 23. KAZINFORM The number of civilian deaths in Afghanistan went down by 39 percent in the first three months of 2009 compared to the same period a year before, NATO said on Wednesday; Kazinform refers to Xinhua.
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NATO spokesman James Appathurai said 81 percent of the civilian deaths were caused by the Talilban-led insurgents and 19 percent by international troops in the first three months of 2009. He did not give the overall number of civilian deaths in this period. A total of 1,240 civilians were killed in 2008 in Afghanistan and the Taliban and other militant groups were responsible for 80 percent of them, according to NATO counts. But the UN mission in Afghanistan said more than 2,100 civilians were killed last year; Kazinform cites Xinhua. See www.chinaview.cn for full version
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