U.S. Marine Corps 1st Lt. Martin Lindig and Afghan soldiers speak to village elders during a census patrol in the Sangin district of Helmand province, Afghanistan, Jan. 17, 2011. Lindig is assigned to Lima Company, 3rd Battalion, 5th Marine Regiment, Regimental Combat Team 2. U.S. Marine Corps photo by Lance Cpl. Dexter S. SaulisburyAfghanistan: Civilian Deaths Hit 'Record Levels' -- BBC
The number of civilians killed in Afghanistan since the US-led invasion a decade ago hit record levels last year, according to a new report.
Some 2,421 civilians were killed, most at the hands of insurgents, the Kabul-based Afghanistan Rights Monitor said.
Foreign troops were to blame for about a fifth of all deaths - a slight fall on the previous year, the report says.
Correspondents say most officials are expecting at least the same level of violence, if not higher, this year.
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