The United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan has expressed concern over 15 per cent rise in conflict related civilian deaths in Afghanistan in the first half of 2011. Releasing a report in Kabul yesterday Special Representative of the UN Secretary General for Afghanistan, Mr. Staffan de Mistura said that Afghan children, women and men continue to be killed and injured at an alarming rate. The half yearly report entitled Prorection of Civilians in Armed Conflict attributes the steep rise mainly to the use of landmine-like improvised explosive devices (IEDs) by Anti-Government Elements as well as air strikes by Pro-Government Forces. While IEDs and suicide attack tactics used by anti-government elements accounted for nearly half of all civilian deaths and injuries, air strikes by Pro-Government Forces also remained the leading cause of Afghan civilian deaths during the period.Mr. Staffan de Mistura said UN wants that there should be no civilian casualties and for this, it is in contact with Taliban as well as International Security Assistance Force in Afghanistan. He appealed to all the parties concerned to address the issue of civilian casualties urgently.