AFGHAN CIVILIAN CASUALTIES UP BY 1%, SAYS UN

: The number of civilians killed in Afghanistan in the first half of this year has increased by 1%, compared to the same period last year, according to a report released on Sunday by the United Nations.

The UN mission in Afghanistan said the number — 1,692 killed in violence — is the highest six-month death toll since the systematic documentation of civilian casualties started in 2009.

In its report, UNAMA said 3,430 Afghan civilians were wounded in the January-June period.

The killed and wounded add up to a total of 5,122 civilian casualties, which is a 3 percent overall decrease from the first six months of 2017.

The UN mission renewed its call on parties to the conflict to increase efforts to protect the civilian population and work toward reaching a peaceful settlement.

Sunday’s report and others like it reflect the grim reality of Afghanistan today.

Since the US and Nato forces formally concluded their combat mission at the end of 2014, a resurgent Taliban have stepped up their attacks across the country and an Islamic State affiliate has also emerged to launch horrific high-profile attacks that have claimed the lives of scores of civilians.

The UN report also cited a lull in June, when the Taliban accepted a three-day cease-fire over the Eid al-Fitr holiday that caps the Muslim fasting month of Ramadan. The insurgents later rejected a subsequent call by President Ashraf Ghani to extend it. AP

KABUL

Facebook has disabled several accounts and pages of the Milli Muslim League (MML), the political group launched by Mumbai terror attack mastermind Hafiz Saeed-led Jamaatud-Dawa, a media report on Sunday.

Facebook Chief Executive Officer Mark Zuckerberg had said it was his priority to make sure the social media giant supports positive discourse and prevents interference in the upcoming elections including in Pakistan, India, Brazil, Mexico.

Recently, Facebook officials contacted the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) and offered help to identify and remove fake pages of different political parties ahead of the July 25 general election, the Express Tribune reported.

The ECP has not recognised the MML as a political party. In April, the US placed MML on its list of foreign terror organisations for its links with the Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT), the terrorist group behind the 2008 Mumbai carnage.

After the ECP denied recognition to the MML, JuD chief Saeed announced that around 200 can-

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