Afghan civilians are for the first time being killed in greater numbers by the U.S. and pro-government forces than by the Taliban and other insurgent groups, a UN report revealed on Wednesday. 

During the first three months of 2019, international and pro-government forces were responsible for the deaths of 305 civilians, whereas insurgent groups killed 227 people, the United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) said in a quarterly report.

The report comes as the U.S. steps up its air campaign in Afghanistan while pushing for a peace deal with the Taliban, who now controls more parts of the country than at any time since they were ousted in 2001.

The majority of American air strikes and search operations on the ground appeared to have acted with impunity, the report indicated. It also has advocated for international military forces operating in the country to conduct investigations into civilian casualties and provide appropriate compensation to victims.

UNAMA started compiling civilian casualty data in 2009 amid deteriorating security conditions in Afghanistan.

It is the first tally since records began that shows pro-government forces have killed more civilians than insurgents have, though insurgents were responsible for more than twice as many injuries as were pro-government forces.

Colonel Dave Butler, a spokesman for U.S. forces in Afghanistan, said the U.S. military holds itself "to the highest standards of accuracy and accountability" and that it strives for precision in all its operations.

"We reserve the right of self-defense of our forces as well as the Afghan Security Forces," Butler said in a statement.

In 2017, the U.S. military started quickening its operational tempo after President Donald Trump loosened restrictions and made it easier for American forces to bomb Taliban positions.

According to U.S. Air Force Central Command, the U.S. dropped 7,362 bombs in Afghanistan in 2018, the highest number since at least 2010, and up from 4,361 in 2017.

The U.S. has sent B-52 bombers on runs over the country and benefited from an increase in aerial hardware as operations against the Islamic State group in Iraq and Syria tapered off.

UNAMA's report did, however, also find that civilian casualties dropped 23 percent compared with the first three months of 2018.

In all, UNAMA documented 1,773 casualties in the last quarter: 581 deaths and 1,192 injured - the lowest first-quarter toll since 2013.

The drop was driven by a decrease in the use of suicide bomb attacks, but UNAMA did not know if this trend came as a result of a harsh winter or if the Taliban were trying to kill fewer civilians during peace talks.

In contrast, the first three months of 2018 saw a spike in horrific attacks that skewed numbers higher for that part of the year compared to 2019. For instance, more than 100 people were killed in Kabul in January 2018 when an explosives-packed ambulance blew up.

(Cover: AFP Photo)