In a report released earlier this month, the United Nations said that at least 8,050 Afghan civilians were wounded or killed in the first nine months of 2018, Reuters reported. The same period in 2017 saw 8,084 casualties. According to the report from the UN Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA), in 2018, deaths increased by 5%, and injuries decreased by 3%. The UN stressed “the indiscriminate use of suicide and IED attacks,” Reuters said, adding that these caused 1,065 deaths and 2,569 injuries up until October 2018; this amounted to 3,634 casualties overall, while the same period in 2017 saw 3,007 casualties. The report ascribed 65% of the total casualties to the Taliban, the Islamic State, and other anti-government forces, Reuters stated. Days after the report, on Thursday, October 18, Afghanistan province Kandahar’s police chief and provincial intelligence chief were killed in a Taliban attack, just days ahead of the country’s national election. On Saturday, October 20, the day of the election, AFP reported that, according to officials, nearly 170 Afghans were injured or killed “in poll-related violence”.