KABUL , Afghanistan ( CNN ) -- Civilian casualties resulting from Afghanistan 's war have spiked , jumping some 24 percent above figures from last year , the United Nations reported Friday . An Afghan child allegedly hurt during a U.S.-led air strike earlier this year . The Human Rights Unit of the United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan announced it recorded 1,013 civilian deaths in Afghanistan during the first six months of this year . That compares to 818 Afghan civilians who were killed during the same period in 2008 , while 684 civilians were killed during the first half of 2007 . Insurgent roadside bombs and suicide attacks , as well as air strikes conducted by U.S. and NATO forces , are the two deadliest tactics being used in Afghanistan . Fifty-nine percent of this year 's civilian casualties resulted from insurgent bombs . Western military airstrikes killed 30.5 percent of the civilians . The report concluded that Taliban insurgents are `` basing themselves in civilian areas so as to deliberately blur the distinction between combatants and civilians , and as part of what appears to be an active policy aimed at drawing a military response to areas where there is a high likelihood that civilians will be killed . '' The UN highlighted a pattern of deadly Taliban attacks , targeting humanitarian workers , government employees , medical and educational staff ... and in particular , girls ' schools . Meanwhile , the UN noted that NATO forces have redrafted their tactical directives , in an effort to reduce civilian casualties . Despite the creation last year of a military commission to track civilian deaths , Western airstrikes `` remain responsible for the largest percentage of civilian deaths '' attributed to foreign troops in Afghanistan . The UN stated that these civilian casualties are counterproductive for the Western military coalition , because they are `` undermining support for the continued presence of the international military forces and the international community generally . '' The United States has nearly doubled the number of American forces in Afghanistan since last year . US-NATO troops have mounted on of the biggest military operations of the eight year war , in an effort to route Taliban insurgents from safe havens in Southern Afghanistan , ahead of August 20th presidential elections . The intensified military activities have contributed to making June the deadliest month for Western forces for the war . At least 44 American service members died in the conflict zone this month , in addition to some 29 Coalition forces .
Civilian casualties in Afghanistan war have spiked by 30.5 percent . CNN : 1,013 civilian deaths in KABUL during year . Western military airstrikes killed 24 percent of the civilians .