Ayaz Gul in Islamabad, Pakistan, contributed to this report. 

The U.S. envoy negotiating with the Taliban in Afghanistan, Zalmay Khalilzad, says the answer to lowering the death toll in that country is to achieve a peace deal.

Wednesday, the United Nations released a report saying more Afghan civilians were killed in the first three months of 2019 by U.S. and Afghan government forces than by the Taliban and other insurgents.

Khalilzad said Thursday on Twitter that the deaths “outrage us all & we stand w/Afghans who protest the deaths & want to end the bloodshed.”

He said, “We deeply regret any loss of innocent life during military operations” and added the “real solution is a cease-fire or reduced violence as we pursue lasting peace.”

The U.N. report said in the first three months of 2019, pro-government forces caused 305 deaths and 303 injuries among civilians, while insurgent groups killed 227 civilians and injured 736.

Women and children made up half of the civilian casualties from all aerial operations, according to the report. But overall, it was the least deadly first quarter since 2013.

The U.N. attributed the lower number to the decrease in suicide bombings in the embattled country.

“It is unclear whether the decrease in civilian casualties was influenced by any measures taken by parties to the conflict to better protect civilians, or by the ongoing talks between parties to the conflict,” the United Nations report said.

“A shocking number of civilians continue to be killed and maimed each day. All parties must do more to safeguard civilians,” Tadamichi Yamamoto, U.N. special representative for Afghanistan, said in a statement. “All parties must do more to safeguard civilians.”

Khalilzad echoed that sentiment on Thursday, saying in a third tweet, “For us, peace is the agenda.”

Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid said that Yamamoto met Thursday with the head of the insurgent group’s “political office,” Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar, in Qatar and “showed his appreciation for the decrease in civilian casualties caused by the Islamic Emirate [Taliban].” 

 

In a statement sent to journalists, Mujahid noted the “extensive discussions” between the two sides in Doha covered the Afghan peace process, civilian casualties and humanitarian operations in Taliban-controlled areas. 

 

He said that Baradar “encouraged” Yamamoto and his delegation in Afghanistan to “strictly adhere to the principles of impartiality in such issues and appropriately discharge their responsibilities in the discussed arenas.” 

 

The Taliban spokesman said some members of their team engaged in negotiations with Khalilzad. There was no immediate comment from the U.N. office in Kabul about Yamamoto’s visit to the Qatari capital.
…