A/HRC/34/41 8. During the reporting period, UNAMA/OHCHR documented 10,533 civilian deaths and injuries of men, women and children. UNAMA/OHCHR attributed 62 per cent of that total to anti-government elements and 24 per cent to pro-government elements comprised of the Afghan National Defence and Security Forces, pro-government armed groups and international military forces; 10 per cent resulted from ground engagements between progovernment forces and anti-government elements but could not be attributed to a specific party to the conflict; and the remaining 4 per cent resulted mainly from explosive remnants of war that could not be attributed to any party. 9. UNAMA/OHCHR recorded decreases in civilian casualties from targeted and deliberate killings and from improvised explosive devices. However, civilian casualties caused by explosive remnants of war increased by 76 per cent, while those resulting from air strikes increased by 86 per cent. As in 2015, UNAMA/OHCHR documented a decrease in civilian casualties in all regions except the central, southern, northern and western regions. 10. On 3 October, in the north-east, the Taliban launched an attack on Kunduz, capturing a significant part of the city and sparking nearly two weeks of urban fighting that continued until 12 October, when Government forces announced they had regained control of the entire city. UNAMA/OHCHR verified that, between 3 and 12 October, 52 civilian men, women and children were killed or injured, and it has continued to investigate allegations of an additional 99 civilian casualties. The majority of the casualties resulted from ground fighting between Taliban fighters and Afghan security forces. In other areas, attacks by anti-government elements on territories under government control persisted, with the attempted takeover of the capitals of Farah, Helmand and Uruzgan provinces. Civilian casualties and the displacement of populations were recorded in each of those locations. 11. In 2016, UNAMA/OHCHR documented an overall 10 per cent increase countrywide in the number of civilian casualties resulting from complex and suicide attacks, mainly attributed to several large attacks in Kabul, where civilian casualties resulting from such tactics increased by 77 per cent. 12. Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant (ISIL/Da’esh) — Khorasan Province2 claimed responsibility for a suicide attack against a peaceful demonstration by civilians belonging to the Hazara community held in Kabul on 23 July. During the attack, 85 civilians were killed and 413 injured. It was the deadliest single incident recorded by UNAMA/OHCHR since 2009, when UNAMA first began recording civilian casualties. Moreover, it was one of four attacks against the Shia minority during the reporting period. 3 13. In 2016, UNAMA/OHCHR released three public reports on the situation of civilians, highlighting civilian deaths and injuries, analysing key trends and making recommendations to all parties to the conflict. 4 2 3 4 4 All factions of the self-identified “Islamic State” are commonly referred to in Afghanistan as “Da’esh”, after the Arabic acronym. The other incidents are outlined in sect. III. A. See https://unama.unmissions.org/sites/default/files/poc_annual_report_2015_final_14_feb_2016.pdf, https://unama.unmissions.org/sites/default/files/protection_of_civilians_in_armed_conflict_midyear _report_2016_final_rev.1-9sept.pdf, https://unama.unmissions.org/sites/default/files/19_october_2016__un_chief_in_afghanistan_renews_call_for_parties_to_protect_civilians_english.pdf and https://unama.unmissions.org/sites/default/files/23_july_suicide_attack_against_peaceful_demonstrati on_-_18_oct_2016.pdf.