Civilian deaths in Afghanistan have hit their highest peak in a decade, U.N. reports

Civilian casualties in Afghanistan rose by 11 percent in 2018 to hit their highest level in a decade, the United Nations reported Sunday.

The U.N. Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) found 3,804 civilians, of whom 927 were children, were killed in their country's conflict last year. Another 7,189 civilians were injured.

"Key factors contributing to the significant increase in civilian casualties were a spike in suicide attacks" by terrorist groups including the Islamic State, the U.N. report said, as well as "increased harm to civilians from aerial and search operations" by U.S. and Afghan forces. Thirty-seven percent of the killings are attributed to the Taliban, the highest mark for an individual group cited in the report.

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Per Al Jazeera, the UNAMA report was released a day before the U.S. is scheduled to meet with representatives from the Taliban in Doha, Qatar for their next round of talks centered on ending the conflict. The previous sit-down raised tentative hopes that peace will be achieved, but also concern that a U.S. withdrawal will lead to increased violence.