UN says in a report that a record number of more than 12,000 children were killed and injured in armed conflicts last year, with Afghanistan, Palestine, Syria and Yemen topping the casualty list.<br />'' <br />'' According to Secretary-General Antonio Guterres' annual report to the Security Council on Children and Armed Conflict, deaths and injuries were among more than 24,000 grave violations against children verified by the UN.<br />'' <br />'' It said the violations include recruitment and use of youngsters by combatants, sexual violence, abductions, and attacks on schools and hospitals.<br />'' <br />'' The report says violations by armed groups remained steady but there was an alarming increase in the number of violations by government and international forces. The UN blacklist of countries that committed grave violations remained unchanged.<br />''  <br />