''Civilians continue to be killed and wounded in the ongoing hostilities. We call on all parties to the conflict, in the conduct of their military operations, to distinguish at all times between civilians and fighters and to take constant care to spare civilians," said Franz Rauchenstein, head of the ICRC's delegation in Kabul. "Civilians must never be the target of an attack, unless they take a direct part in the fighting. These fundamental requirements of international humanitarian law, also known as the laws and customs of war, are binding on all parties to an armed conflict."

Whatever the means and methods of warfare chosen by the parties to the conflict, they must take all necessary precautions to verify that targets are indeed military objectives and that attacks will not cause excessive civilian casualties and damage.

The ICRC is particularly concerned about the continuing use of indiscriminate attacks, which by their nature strike military objectives and civilians or civilian objects without distinction. The ICRC therefore deplores the 7 July suicide attack against the Indian embassy in Kabul.

Together with the Afghan Red Crescent Society, the ICRC swiftly responded to the 7 July attack by providing emergency medical supplies for immediate use in the hospitals treating the wounded. The Afghan Red Crescent also evacuated wounded people from the scene of the explosion.

The ICRC is also concerned about the reportedly high number of civilian casualties resulting from the recent air strikes in the east of the country. Several injured civilians have undergone surgery at the ICRC-supported Jalalabad Public Hospital.

The ICRC maintains contacts with all parties to the armed conflict in Afghanistan – the government forces, ISAF/NATO and US-led Coalition forces, and the armed opposition – with a view to reminding them of their obligations under international humanitarian law.