Chief Executive Abdullah Abdullah on Monday stressed the need for more precision in military operations in order to prevent civilian casualties which according to him has increased in recent months.

Mr. Abdullah said the increase in civilian casualties is concerning.

“Prevention of civilian casualties should be our top priority,” he said.

Mr. Abdullah expressed his concerns on insecurity in the country’s main highways and said the Taliban is using the highways as an income source.

“I want the security forces to pay attention to two matters. First, traffic accidents are occurring a lot recently and meanwhile the Taliban are using big highways as an income source,” he added.

His remarks come as reports indicate that at least four people were killed in a traffic accident in Kabul-Jalalabad highway on Monday morning.

Pointing out to the ongoing peace efforts, Mr. Abdullah said efforts are underway to begin the negotiations which have not started yet.

“This is the opportunity that the other side [the Taliban] should also address the call of the Afghan people,” he said.

On elections, he said the election commissions should ensure that the upcoming presidential polls are held in a transparent and fair manner.