A/HRC/28/48 thoroughly pre-engagement targeting criteria and take the required precautionary measures to prevent civilian casualties. C. Children and armed conflict 20. During the reporting period, the changing nature of the conflict had a disproportionate impact on children. Child casualties reported and verified between 1 January 2014 and 30 November 2014 were 33 per cent higher than those recorded during the same period in 2013. Between 1 January and 30 November 2014, the United Nationsled country task force on monitoring and reporting verified 925 incidents of killing and maiming out of a total of 995 reported incidents. The verified incidents indicate that at least 597 children (442 boys, 131 girls and 24 gender unknown) were killed and a further 1,501 children (1,075 boys, 374 girls and 52 genders unknown) were injured. Between January and November 2014, at least 44 children were killed or injured every week in Afghanistan. 21. Ground engagements caused the highest number of child casualties — 1,014 killed or injured. Improvised explosive devices were the second leading cause of child deaths and injuries, amounting to 568 casualties — all attributed to anti-Government elements. Explosives remnants of war caused 264 child casualties — including 226 boys — during the period under review. Suicide attacks by anti-Government elements resulted in 198 child casualties, with the highest numbers recorded in the southeast region. Air strikes by international forces killed and injured 31 children during the period under review. AntiGovernment elements were responsible for 56 per cent of the total child casualties reported and verified, and international and Afghan security forces were responsible for 15 per cent. The remaining 27 per cent of the casualties remained unattributed. 22. From January to November 2014, the task force documented 203 reports of attacks against schools and related personnel or school occupation. The 155 verified incidents represent a sharp increase compared with the same period in 2013, when 73 such incidents were reported. Attacks against schools included both deliberate targeting as well as incidents that impeded access to education, including crossfire, improvised explosive device placement or detonations on the premises of schools, abduction of staff, intimidation and harassment of education personnel. At least 79 of the verified incidents in 2014 resulted from the direct targeting of schools used as polling centres during the presidential elections. 23. During the period under review, 45 incidents of underage recruitment, involving 53 boys and 2 girls, were reported to the task force, of which it was only possible to verify 14 incidents. The children were recruited allegedly to carry out different types of military activities, such as planting improvised explosive devices, transporting explosives, carrying out suicide attack, spying and for sexual purposes. At least eight recruited boys lost their lives and six boys were injured while planting or assembling improvised explosive devices or carrying out suicide attacks. Of the verified incidents, anti-Government element groups were responsible for the recruitment of 15 boys, while 1 boy was recruited by the Afghan local police and one by a pro-Government militia in the northeast region. A decrease was noted in the number of child recruitment compared to 2013, when the recruitment and use of 79 children was reported. 24. Members of armed groups and armed forces in Afghanistan continued to abduct children. During the period under review, 20 incidents of abduction were reported, involving 35 children (34 boys and a girl), of which the task force was able to verify 14 incidents affecting 21 boys and a girl. Anti-Government elements, mostly the Taliban, were responsible for 12 verified incidents. The abduction of a boy and a girl was attributed to pro-Government forces. 8