Civilian casualties in Afghanistan hit record high: UN

At least 3,545 non-combatants died and another 7,457 were injured by fighting last year in a 4% increase over 2014, the international organization said in its annual report on civilian casualties.

"The harm done to civilians is totally unacceptable," Nicholas Haysom, the head of the UN Assistance Mission in Afghanistan, said in a statement.

Fighting between Western-backed government forces and insurgent groups meant more non-combatants are being caught in the crossfire, investigators wrote, pointing to two developments in particular which pushed casualties up.

"In most parts of Afghanistan in 2015, civilian casualties decreased," Danielle Bell, director of the UN human rights program in Afghanistan, told a news conference.

Ground engagements were the leading cause of civilian casualties at 37 percent, followed by roadside bombs at 21% and suicide attacks at 17 percent.

Women and children were hard hit, as casualties among women spiked 37 percent while deaths and injuries increased 14% among children.

Casualties attributed to pro-government forces jumped 28% compared to 2014 to account for 17% of the total.

A 9% rise in civilian casualties caused by international forces was attributed largely to a U.S. air strike in October on a Doctors Without Borders hospital that killed 42 staff, patients, family members and injured another 43.

Overall 103 civilians were killed and 67 wounded by foreign forces last year, the report found.

A statement from President Ashraf Ghani accused the Taliban of violating international law. It said Afghan security forces underwent regular training to ensure the protection of civilians and were liable to investigation if any breaches occurred.

As in past years, insurgent groups like the Taliban were blamed for most civilian deaths and injuries, at 62%. Investigators accused insurgents of using tactics that "deliberately or indiscriminately" caused harm to civilians.

The Taliban rejected the report, describing it as "propaganda compiled at the behest of occupying forces" and said the government in Kabul and its US ally were the major causes of deaths and injuries.

UN officials said that pledges from both sides to limit casualties had not been backed up.

"The report references commitments made by all parties to the conflict to protect civilians, however, the figures documented in 2015 reflect a disconnect between commitments made and the harsh reality on the ground," Bell said.

She said the expectation of continued fighting in the coming months showed the need for both sides to take immediate steps to prevent harm to civilians.

Since the United Nations began recording civilian casualties in Afghanistan in 2009, it has documented nearly 59,000 deaths and injuries.