A/HRC/40/45 15. In 2018, UNAMA released eight public reports (including four special reports), including jointly with OHCHR, highlighting civilian deaths and injuries, analysing key trends and making recommendations to all parties to the conflict. 2 A. Anti-government elements 16. Between 1 January and 30 November, UNAMA/OHCHR attributed 6,631 civilian casualties (2,095 deaths and 4,536 injured) to anti-government elements. These figures comprise 64 per cent of the total number of civilian casualties and represent similar figures compared with the same period in 2017. The leading cause of civilian casualties was combined improvised explosive device tactics (including non-suicide improvised explosive devices and suicide and complex attacks together), which accounted for 44 per cent of the total number of civilian casualties. Suicide and complex attacks accounted for nearly 26 per cent of all civilian casualties while non-suicide improvised explosive devices accounted for nearly 18 per cent. Anti-government elements caused 1,332 civilian casualties (285 deaths and 1,047 injured) during ground engagements, the next leading cause, representing 13 per cent of the total civilian casualties. 17. During the reporting period, UNAMA/OHCHR documented 3,975 casualties (1,315 deaths and 2,660 injured) resulting from deliberate targeting of civilians, a 57 per cent increase compared with the same period in 2017. These figures also include nine cases of sectarian attacks by anti-government elements against minority Shia Muslims, the majority of whom are ethnic Hazara, that caused 732 civilian casualties (219 deaths and 513 injuries). ISIL-Khorasan Province claimed responsibility for all but one of these incidents. 18. The majority of the increase came from attacks targeting civilians in election-related incidents. For example, from the beginning of the voter registration period on 14 April up to the day before the elections, UNAMA verified 154 election-related security incidents resulting in 512 civilian casualties (156 deaths and 356 injured) and the abduction of 245 civilians. Women and children comprised 35 per cent of these casualties. Two deadly attacks on 22 April in Kabul city and on 6 May in Khost city resulted in more than 250 civilian casualties alone. 19. Among the total number of election-related civilian casualties verified by UNAMA/OHCHR, 87 casualties (38 deaths and 49 injured) resulted from attacks against parliamentary candidates, eight of whom were killed. Violence targeting voters and polling centres on the three days on which voting took place caused an additional 479 civilian casualties (64 deaths and 415 injured), resulting in the highest level of civilian harm on election days since UNAMA/OHCHR began systematic documentation of civilian casualties in 2009. In addition to loss of life and other harm, this pattern of attacks, threats and intimidation also deprived Afghan citizens of their right to participate in the political process freely and without fear of harm. 20. During the reporting period, UNAMA/OHCHR recorded 249 conflict-related incidents of kidnapping or abduction by anti-government elements involving 1,806 civilians; 54 of the victims were killed and 23 injured. 2 4 Protection of Civilians in Armed Conflict: Annual Report 2017 (February 2018); “Quarterly report on the protection of civilians in armed conflict: 1 January to 31 March 2018” (April 2018); “Electionrelated attacks and abuses during the initial voter registration period” (May 2018); “Special report: airstrikes in Dasht-e-Archi District, Kunduz Province, 2 April 2018” (May 2018); “Midyear update on the protection of civilians in armed conflict 1 January to 30 June 2018” (July 2018); “Special report: increasing harm to Afghan civilians from the deliberate and indiscriminate use of improvised explosive devices” (October 2018); “Quarterly report on the protection of civilians in armed conflict: 1 January to 30 September 2018” (October 2018); and Special Report: 2018 Elections Violence (November 2018). All reports are available at http://unama.unmissions.org/protection-of-civiliansreports.