A/HRC/19/47 14. Despite the Taliban’s public statements that their offensives should target exclusively military objectives and ensure the protection of civilians, AGEs continue to carry out indiscriminate attacks against hospitals, religious places and other places protected under international law. In May 2011, the Taliban claimed responsibility for a suicide attack on a national army hospital in Kabul that killed six civilians and injured 23 medical students. Similarly, in June 2011, a suicide attack against a hospital in Logar Province killed 20 civilians, including 13 children, and injured 25 others, many of whom were women and children. In a disturbing development, AGEs continued to target United Nations offices operating in Afghanistan. On 1 April 2011, a demonstration in Mazar-eSharif turned violent and protestors ransacked the UNAMA compound. Three UNAMA staff, including a human rights officer, and four international guards died in the incident. Similarly, in October 2011, AGEs carried out an attack on the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) compound in Kandahar, killing three local staff members and injuring two others. 15. OHCHR/UNAMA has noted several statements released by the Taliban about reducing civilian casualties. In their 30 April 2011 statement, “Inception of the Spring Operations or Operation Badar,” the Taliban declared that they would focus attacks on targets of a military nature and take precautions to protect civilians. Despite these public commitments, the Taliban have made no apparent efforts to adhere to international humanitarian law standards or to take action against their commanders or members who disobeyed them. B. Pro-Government forces 16. Civilian casualties attributed to PGFs increased in 2011, with 505 deaths and 839 injuries compared to 407 deaths and 410 injuries in the previous year. Civilian casualties as a result of air strikes increased by 28 per cent compared to the same period in 2010, while civilian casualties from ground combat and armed clashes increased by 124 per cent compared to the same period in 2010. Civilian casualties attributed to PGFs reportedly continue to be unacceptably high. 17. Air strikes remained the leading cause of civilian deaths by PGFs between 1 January and 30 November 2011, killing 205 Afghan civilians, a 24-per cent increase compared to the same period in 2010. Civilian deaths attributed to aerial attacks resulted mostly from attacks by helicopters. 18. As fighting intensified between AGEs and PGFs, AGEs responded by increasing their operations to undermine the transition process, resulting in an increase of civilian casualties from ground combat and armed clashes in the first 11 months of 2011. Ground combat resulted in 626 civilian deaths and 1,321 injuries. UNAMA documented 371 civilian deaths from ground combat by AGEs, 190 from PGFs and 65 civilian deaths from crossfire. 19. Civilian casualties from air strikes and night raids remain a major concern. Although the International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) and the Government of Afghanistan have made public apologies, conducted investigations in most of these incidents and considered offering compensation claims, these incidents continue to generate anger and fuel tensions between PGFs and local communities. Several violent demonstrations protesting civilian casualties and night search operations occurred, with some infiltrated by AGEs and other groups, resulting in further civilian casualties. 7