The UN says May was the deadliest month for civilians in Afghanistan since 2007, when the organisation started recording civilian casualties. The UN said anti-government elements were responsible for 82 per cent of the 368 conflict-related civilian deaths. Pro-government forces, including Nato, caused 45 of the deaths. The statistics reveal that insurgents were responsible for most of the casualties, but air strikes were blamed for 3 per cent of the civilian deaths. The UN has already said that 2010 was the deadliest year for civilians since the Taliban were overthrown from power in late 2001 and the Western-backed government of Hamid Karzai installed later. The UN said 2,777 civilians were killed last year, a 15 per cent increase over 2009.