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NEWS STORY
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War 'killed 346 Afghan kids' in 2009
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25 February 2010
The conflict in Afghanistan killed nearly 350 children in 2009, a top UN official said on Wednesday.
Radhika Coomaraswamy, the UN secretary general's special representative for children and armed conflict, said 346 children were killed in Afghan violence last year.
"131 of these were by aerial strikes, 22 by search-and-raid by Special Forces; 128 were killed by anti-Government elements, including assassinations and suicide bombings," she said during a visit to Kabul.
Coomaraswamy also expressed concern that children were being recruited to fight against the NATO-led International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) in Afghanistan.
"We will engage in discussions with ISAF and the Afghan Army to see what can be done when they encounter children in military operations," she said.
"We hope to enter into a protocol so that those children will be properly released and reintegrated into their communities."
Coomaraswamy also said she was worried about sexual violence towards children, and the abuse of boys in particular.
NATO has repeatedly defended itself over the deaths of children during special forces operations, saying they were of combat age and its soldiers acted legitimately in their own defence.
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