Afghanistan: Reality sets in again

Civilian deaths in the first half of 2018 have again reached an all-time high in Afghanistan, according to Reuters reporting on 16 July 2018. As reported by Radio Free Europe on 15 July 2018, a suicide bombing in Kabul killed at least seven people and left 15 wounded. A suicide bombing in front of the same government building on 11 June 2018 left 13 people dead and 30 wounded. Responsibility for both attacks was claimed by the Islamic State group (IS). Thomas Muller, persecution analyst at World Watch Research, comments: "Despite Islamic State militants in Afghanistan not being part of the widely reported Eid ceasefire, much hope had been placed in the taste of momentary peace and it clearly showed that the average Afghan is tired of the ongoing violence. However, the statistics presented by the United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) show the sober reality. The rising number of deaths is partly connected to the approaching elections in October 2018 with registration and potential polling stations increasingly becoming targets for attacks. But another sickening trend is a strong increase in the number of attacks against schools, as highlighted by Afghanistan Analysts Network in their analysis on 16 July 2018. Christians must keep a low profile as Islamic militants become increasingly active.