Amid efforts for peace, a recent surge in civilian casualties has created concerns among rights groups as a Kabul-based watchdog reports that at least nine civilians were killed in two separate incidents in two days.

One of the incidents happened in Ghazni on Saturday, July 11, in which a vehicle carrying civilians hit a roadside bomb in Jaghato district of Ghazni, leaving six dead and eight others wounded.

“The humanitarian rights of civilians are not respected. This results in apparent and repeated violations of human rights and citizens’ rights in Afghanistan,” said Zabihullah Farhang, head of the media office of Afghanistan's Independent Human Rights Commission.

In another incident on Friday, a mortar hit a house in Sayed Abad district, Maidan Wardak province, killing a man with his two sons.

“The Taliban has influence there (in Jaghato district), not Afghan forces,” said Khaliqdad Akbari, a member of Ghazni's provincial council. “The responsibility for yesterday’s incident belongs to the Taliban.”

The Taliban has not commented on the claims.

The victims of the Maidan Wardak incident were laid to rest in Sulthankhel village on Sunday. Some residents of the area gathered near a government forces base to protest the death of the three members of the family.

Local officials said the incident happened in a crossfire between the government forces and the Taliban.

“One man and his two children were martyred. Such conflicts usually claim civilians’ lives,” said Sharifullah Hotak, a member of Wardak's provincial council.

The commission called on the warring parties to reduce violence ahead of the intra-Afghan negotiations.