A/HRC/40/45 B. Pro-government forces 21. Between 1 January and 30 November, UNAMA/OHCHR attributed 2,289 civilian casualties (1,007 deaths and 1,282 injured) to pro-government forces, a 17 per cent increase compared with the same period in 2017. These casualties were mainly caused by Afghan National Defence and Security Forces and the majority resulted from ground engagements, though UNAMA/OHCHR documented a 7 per cent reduction in such civilian casualties. The next leading cause of civilian casualties by pro-government forces was aerial attacks, for which UNAMA/OHCHR recorded a 40 per cent increase compared with the same period in 2017. Together with a significant increase in civilian casualties from search operations, this more than offset the decrease in civilian casualties from ground engagements,3 leading to the overall increase. 22. UNAMA/OHCHR documented 837 civilian casualties (410 deaths and 427 injured) from airstrikes by pro-government forces, amounting to 8 per cent of all civilian casualties. For example, on 2 April, Afghan Air Force helicopters conducted aerial operations in Laghmani village, Dasht-e-Archi District of Kunduz Province, releasing multiple rockets and firing heavy machine guns during an open-air religious ceremony next to a madrasa where hundreds of men and boys were gathered. UNAMA/OHCHR verified 95 civilian casualties (30 children killed and 65 civilians injured, of whom 49 were children) as a result of this airstrike. UNAMA issued a special public report on the incident, following which the President formally apologized. 23. An area of increasing concern is civilian casualties from search operations by progovernment forces. In 2018, UNAMA/OHCHR documented 326 civilian casualties (258 deaths and 68 injured) during search operations, nearly triple the number recorded during the same period in 2017. UNAMA/OHCHR attributed nearly two thirds of these casualties to search operations involving the National Directorate of Security Special Forces, either alone or partnered with international military forces. UNAMA/OHCHR also received consistent, credible accounts of intentional destruction of civilian property, illegal detention and other abuses carried out by the National Directorate of Security Special Forces and progovernment armed groups, including the Khost Protection Force. UNAMA/OHCHR continued to seek avenues with the National Directorate of Security Special Forces to resolve disputes about facts regarding incidents affecting civilians. UNAMA/OHCHR remained concerned at what appeared to be a lack of accountability for abuses by these forces. 24. UNAMA/OHCHR noted continued positive developments during the reporting period with respect to government policies and mechanisms for civilian casualty mitigation. The Government continued implementing the national policy on civilian casualty prevention and mitigation endorsed by the National Security Council in 2017. UNAMA/OHCHR further noted that the coordinated civilian casualty tracking mechanism continued to improve its functionality under the guidance of NATO Resolute Support advisers. 25. The Government’s obligations under the Convention on Prohibitions or Restrictions on the Use of Certain Conventional Weapons Which May Be Deemed to Be Excessively Injurious or to Have Indiscriminate Effects and Additional Protocols I, II (as amended in 1996), III, IV and V thereto came into effect on 9 February. This established new obligations to adopt measures and allocate additional resources to protect civilians from explosive remnants of war. 26. Throughout the reporting period, UNAMA/OHCHR continued to engage in civilmilitary dialogue to improve protection of civilians with provincial, regional and high-level government and military representatives and the international protection community to advocate with the parties to the conflict and others who may have influence over their actions. The regular dialogue resulted in orders and policies issued by the Government and 3 The increase in casualties from airstrikes and search operations was more than the decrease from ground engagements, leading to the overall 9 per cent increase in civilian casualties attributed to progovernment forces. 5