KABUL: Civilian casualties in Afghanistan soared by 24 percent in the first half of 2014, according to UN figures released Wednesday, revealing worsening nationwide violence as US-led troops leave after more than a decade fighting the Taleban.

Ground combat is now causing more deaths and injuries than improvised explosive devices (IEDs) in a worrying sign of spreading conflict, the UN report said, adding that women and children were increasingly caught in the crossfire.

The rapid increase in civilian casualties underlines the fragile security situation that Afghanistan faces as it wrestles with political turmoil over the disputed presidential election.

One candidate, Abdullah Abdullah, has refused to accept the result due to alleged fraud, and fears are growing of ethnic tension and the risk of clashes between rival supporters reviving the divisions of the 1992-1996 civil war.

“The nature of the conflict in Afghanistan is changing in 2014 with an escalation of ground engagements in civilian-populated areas,” warned Jan Kubis, the United Nations mission chief in Afghanistan.