Civilian casualties in Afghanistan hit a record high in May and June of 2021, when U.S. troops began their withdrawal, a United Nations report said Monday. The overall number of civilian deaths and injuries in the first half of 2021 rose 47 percent to 5,183 compared to the same period in 2020 and inched towards the 2017 record of 5,272, he UN Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) said in its report (pdf). At the same time, between May 1 and June 30, the report noted 2,392 civilian casualties, the highest number on record for those two months since the agency began tracking in 2009. During the period in question, the report recorded 783 civilian deaths and 1,609 injuries. The agency said in the report it “is concerned by the increased number of civilian casualties that have occurred since the announcements by international military forces in April, and then commencement shortly thereafter, …