KABUL, Afghanistan, July 14 (UPI) -- Terrorism and suicide operations in Afghanistan are taking a greater toll on the civilian population than any other military tactic, U.N. officials say.
Nazifullah Salarzai, a spokesman for the U.N. Assistance Mission in Afghanistan, said there was "deep concern" over the continued use of terrorist tactics in civilian populated areas.
"These are resulting in more civilian casualties in Afghanistan than any other military tactic, and must stop," he said. "The civilian population of this country has a right to be safe from violence and threats."
The reaction from UNAMA follows a Thursday bombing in Logar province in the east of Afghanistan that killed more than 20 people, including several children on their way to school.
The U.N. children's organization, UNICEF, said it has recorded 98 attacks on schools from May to June 24, blaming the incidents for pulling "the country backwards."
For his part, Kai Eide, the U.N. special envoy for Afghanistan, said the increased violence created public skepticism over the democratic process. He cautioned, however, that democracy was more than just picking national leaders.
"It is about the legitimacy of leadership," he stated.
