Insurgent and terrorist violence in Afghanistan increased sharply in 2007.  It  reached the highest level since U.S. forces invaded the country in October 2001.

So said  U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki Moon in a report to the Security Council.   

According to reports more than 8,000 conflict-related deaths occurred in 2007, an average of 566 incidents per month. That compares with an average of 425 incidents per month in 2006.