The UN has said there has been a dramatic increase in violence in Afghanistan in the first four months of the year.
In a report to the Security Council, the UN said roadside bombings have soared by 94% compared with the same period last year.
On average, there are now three suicide attacks a week, mostly in the south of the country.
Separately, at least five civilians, including two young girls, were killed in an air strike by NATO forces in eastern Afghanistan.
Khost provincial police chief general Abdul Hakim Ishaqzai said six civilians were killed by the bombing, which targeted Taliban militants in the mountainous area on the Pakistan border.
The coalition forces bombed Taliban positions in Musa Khel district of Khost province today, which resulted in the killing of 38 Taliban and six civilians,’ he said.
The Afghan interior ministry and NATO could not confirm the incident, but said they were investigating.
Civilian deaths caused by Western troops fell 28% last year compared to the year before, according to a UN study which attributed the drop to measures taken specifically to protect civilians.
