Afghan violence 'worst in years'

Attacks on troops, civilians and aid workers in Afghanistan are at their highest level for six years, according to the UN special envoy there.

Kai Eide said that heavily armed insurgents were now operating beyond strongholds of the Taleban insurgents in the south and east.

He warned about being overly pessimistic about the situation.

But he noted growing fears that Afghan and foreign forces were losing both their campaign and Afghan support.

Many militants cross the porous borders to Pakistan but Mr Eide said there had been a significant improvement in relations between Kabul and Islamabad over ways of preventing terrorism.

'No winter lull'

Mr Eide told the UN Security Council in New York that security incidents in July and August had been at their highest level since 2002.

He noted an increase in "asymmetric attacks, some of them very sophisticated" and to more "and sometimes deadly attacks against aid-related and humanitarian targets, including against NGOs [non-governmental organisations] and UN personnel".

"We should not expect the same winter lull in the level of hostilities that we have experienced in past winters," he added.

Afghanistan's UN Ambassador, Zahir Tanin, agreed that the security situation had deteriorated but he cautioned news organisations against overstating negative developments.

The Taleban, he said, has used "some recent statements and reports" in an attempt to convince the Afghan population that the international community's resolve was wavering.

Earlier this month, the UK's commander in Afghanistan, Brig Mark Carleton-Smith, told a British newspaper: "We're not going to win this war."

His comments in the Sunday Times were widely reported.

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