KABUL, Afghanistan, Oct. 30 (UPI) -- More than 2,900 Afghan civilians and police personnel have died in Taliban attacks across Afghanistan in the past seven months, the government said.
The Interior Ministry said the militants carried out about 6,000 attacks and bombings during that period, Khaama Press reported.
Gen. Salim Ehsas, chief of the Afghan police forces in the ministry, told reporters those killed included 1,273 public order police service members, 779 Afghan local police, and 856 civilians. He said more than 5,000 civilians and police officers were also injured.
Ehsas said during the same seven-month period, Afghan national security forces conducted about 300 independent and 1,500 joint operations with the coalition forces, in which 2,168 militants were killed and about 1,720 militants were captured.
The report said the U.N. Assistance Mission in Afghanistan earlier this month reported there has been a 16 percent increase in civilian casualties in the country in the past eight months. The mission's human right director said anti-government militant groups have been deliberately targeting civilians.
