A/HRC/31/46 been no specific threat or intimidation against the office before the attack. The Commission, UNAMA and OHCHR issued statements condemning the attack. 26. UNAMA noted an increase in killings and abductions of civilians of Hazara ethnicity by anti-Government elements. For example, on 13 October, anti-Government elements abducted seven Hazara civilians, including one girl and two boys, in the southeastern province of Ghazni. Between 6 and 8 November, anti-Government elements executed all seven abductees in the southern province of Zabul, Arghandab district; armed clashes between two rival groups of anti-Government elements were also reported in Zabul. 27. In the first half of 2015, anti-Government elements abducted at least 97 members of the Hazara community in 10 incidents. All but one took place in areas with mixed Hazara and non-Hazara communities in Balkh, Faryab, Ghazni, Ghor, Sari Pul, and Uruzgan provinces. UNAMA has confirmed the release of 78 of the 97 abducted Hazaras, while it was not able to verify the whereabouts of the remaining hostages. The motives for the abductions included holding hostages for ransom, exchange of detainees and suspicion of the hostages being members of the Afghan National Security Forces. In some cases, however, the motive was unknown. On 23 February, in one incident that garnered significant public attention, anti-Government elements abducted 30 Hazara passengers from two public buses in Shah Joy district, Zabul province, as they were travelling from Herat to Kabul. Three of the victims were killed during captivity by anti-Government elements while two died, reportedly of natural causes. Between May and August, the remaining hostages were released, reportedly in exchange for a group of detainees held by the Government. B. Pro-Government forces 28. From 1 January to 30 November, UNAMA/OHCHR documented 1,648 civilian casualties (540 civilian deaths and 1,108 injured) attributed to pro-Government forces, a 30 per cent increase from 2014. This rise is attributed to an increase in offensive operations and counter-attacks by the Afghan National Security Forces against anti-Government elements, including in or near civilian populated areas. Fifty-eight per cent of civilian casualties attributed to pro-Government forces during this period resulted from the use of explosive weapons, including rockets, mortars and grenades. For example, on 9 June, the Afghan National Army fired mortars at a Taliban position in Ghormach district, Faryab province, striking a civilian residence, killing three children and a man, and injuring a woman. 29. Reversing previously observed trends, civilian casualties from aerial operations increased by 77 per cent in 2015, causing 275 civilian casualties (147 deaths and 128 injured). Of these, international military forces caused 165 civilian casualties (104 deaths and 61 injured). This represents a 14 per cent increase in civilian casualties caused by international military forces compared with the same period in 2014 and primarily resulted from the bombing of the Médecins Sans Frontières hospital in Kunduz on 3 October, which caused 67 civilian casualties (30 deaths and 37 injured). 30. The Afghan Air Force caused 40 per cent of the casualties arising from aerial operations (110 civilian casualties: 43 deaths and 67 injured). Civilian casualties from Afghan Air Force operations increased in the second half of 2015 compared with the first half of the year. UNAMA/OHCHR has urged international military forces to strengthen their support to the Afghan Air Forces to encourage the implementation of effective precautionary measures to prevent civilian casualties and to institutionalize best practices learned over the years in reducing such casualties from aerial operations. 7