KABUL - According to United Nations, civilian casualties in Afghanistan has risen by almost 30 percent during the first three months of the year. UN special representative for Afghanistan, Jan Kubis said, said the “troubling” rise, compared to the same period last year, followed a 12 percent drop in civilian casualties over the whole of 2012.

While speaking during a NATO ministers briefing in Brussels on Tuesday, Jan Kubis described the recent Taliban attack on court staff in western Afghanistan as a “war crime”.

According to Jan Kubis, at least 475 civilians were killed and around 872 others were injured from January to March this year.

Jan Kubis quoted in a speech released by United Nations in Kabul said, “I once again call on anti-government groups to cease targeting civilians, using children in suicide operations and attacking public places including places of worship.”

He said the attack by Taliban militants on a court complex earlier in April was “nothing less than a war crime.”

Kubis also expressed extreme concerns regarding Taliban militants statement that focuses on courthouses and judicial staff as their target.

At least 46 people including 36 civilians were killed after Taliban militants attacked the courthouse in western Farah province of Afghanistan on third of April.

The attack by Taliban also left at least 95 people wounded after Taliban fighters ruthlessly shot everyone they found during room to room search.

In parts of his speech UN special representative for Afghanistan, Jan Kubis also insisted on Afghan and US-led NATO forces to take continuing measures to prevent civilian casualties and to investigate abuses. (KP)