Kabul - The United Nations said Tuesday that Afghan civilian deaths rose by 40 per cent last year, to 2,118, the highest toll in the country since the fall of Taliban regime in late 2001.

Taliban insurgents were responsible for 55 per cent, or 1,160, of the overall death toll, while Afghan and international forces killed 828 civilians, or 39 per cent, the UN's annual report said.

The deaths of 130 other civilians, 6 per cent of the total, could not be clearly attributed to either side of the conflict.

Kabul  - Afghan army troops and US-led forces killed at least nine militants including two of their commanders in western Afghanistan, while eight other rebels were killed in a clash with Afghan and NATO forces in southern region, officials said Monday.

Mullah Dastigir and eight of his fighters were killed in US military airstrike in Darya-ye-Morghab village in western Badghis province, close to border with Turkmenistan on Sunday night, US military said in a statement.

Kabul- An Afghan district governor and four Afghan police forces were killed in two separate roadside attacks in southern and eastern Afghanistan, officials said Saturday.

In the latest attack, Zaman Sabari, the district governor for Nadershah Kot district of south-eastern province of Khost was killed when his vehicle was struck by a roadside bomb on Saturday, Wazir Pacha, spokesman for the provincial police chief said.

Kabul - Afghan police boosted security in Kabul Thursday by increasing their personnel on the streets and erecting new checkpoints, a day after simultaneous suicide attacks against three government

Kabul, Feb. 11 : At least eight persons were killed and several others injured when twin bomb blasts rocked a government building here on Wednesday.

Just after the deadly attack, the Taliban claimed responsibility, and warned of carrying out more such attacks in the Afghan capital.

Eyewitnesses reported seeing two suicide attackers just before the blasts.

Kabul - Several blasts triggered by suicide bombers and gunfire rocked Kabul Wednesday, a day ahead of a visit by US special envoy Richard Holbrooke, causing an unknown number of casualties, police and witnesses said.

A senior police official said suicide bombers attacked the Justice Ministry, which is located in the heart of the capital near the Finance Ministry and the south gate of the Presidential Palace.

A group of four bombers equipped with machine guns stormed the ministry with one detonating himself outside the building and three others entering it, sources said.