Bombs planted by insurgents have killed 75% more Afghan civilians this year than in 2009 as the Taliban increasingly targets villagers in a campaign of intimidation, according to military reports provided to USA TODAY.

 

There have been 1,859 civilian deaths from improvised explosive devices (IEDs) this year across Afghanistan. That compares with 1,057 in the same period last year.

 

In the Taliban stronghold of southern Afghanistan, where thousands of coalition forces have been brought in to protect Afghans, civilian deaths from roadside bombs have soared 132% since last year, the reports show.

 

Improvised Explosive Devices are the top killer of both coalition troops and Afghan civilians. Insurgents most often rely on cheap materials — fertilizer and fuel oil — to fashion explosives.