'Afghan civilian casualties at record high in 2016's 1st half'

Civilian casualties in Afghanistan touched a record high in the first half of 2016, the UN said today, with children in particular paying a heavy price as insurgent groups step up fighting.

"Between January and June this year, the UN documented 1,601 civilian deaths and 3,565 injured civilians. This represents an increase of four percent in the total number of casualties compared to the first six months of 2015," the United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan said.