40 civilians killed in Afghanistan, UN calls for end to fighting

SANAA, Aug. 3 (YPA) – The United Nations announced on Tuesday that at least 40 civilians were killed and more than 100 others were wounded in the last 24 hours, during battles between Afghan forces and Taliban fighters.

The Afghan army called on the residents of the city of Lashkar Gah to evacuate and leave their homes before starting an operation aimed at removing Taliban fighters from it.

“Please leave as soon as possible so that we can start our operation” against the Taliban, General Sami Sadat said in a message to the media, addressing the city’s residents.

The city of Lashkar Gah has been the scene of fierce battles for days after it was besieged by Taliban insurgents, who, according to Afghan officials, took control of 15 local radio and television channels in the city, according to Afghan officials on Tuesday.

Only one pro-Taliban channel remained, broadcasting Islamic programmes.

The level of violence has increased across Afghanistan since the beginning of last May, when the Taliban launched an operation in large parts of the country, coinciding with the start of the US military’s final stages of withdrawal from the territory of this country.

In a tweet, the United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan expressed its “grave concern” about the predicament facing civilians in Lashkar Gah. It urged an “immediate cessation of urban fighting”.

The toll came hours after the mission warned on Tuesday that “the Taliban’s ground attack and the Afghan army’s air strikes caused the most damage on civilians.

It expressed “deep concerns about indiscriminate shooting and damage” to health facilities and civilian homes.