August 1, 2010

KABUL, Aug. 1 (Xinhua) -- Civilian casualty has been soaring in Afghanistan as 270 Afghan civilians had been killed in July, spokesman for Interior Ministry Zamarai Bashari said on Sunday.

"Two hundred seventy civilians were killed in different security incidents in July across the country but unfortunately it shows 29 percent increase in comparison with the previous month," Bashari told a weekly press briefing here.

He said that 588 other civilians including women and children were injured during the period in 765 terrorist and violent attacks elsewhere in the militancy-hit country.

According to Bashari 673 Taliban militants had been killed and 76 others wounded in July while security forces had arrested 263 militants over period.

He further stated that 125 police officers and soldiers had also been killed while 291 other police personnel sustained injuries last month.

Taliban-led militancy and conflicts have claimed the lives of over 1,100 civilians and injured over 1300 others since beginning this year in Afghanistan.