KABUL, June 29 (Xinhua) -- The number of security incidents in the militancy-hit country has risen by 43 percent during the first four months in 2009, compared with the same period in 2008, said are port of the UN Security Council on Afghanistan situation issued here on Monday.

    "The overall number of security incidents continued to rise during the reporting period. Though we are not a military mission in Afghanistan, we are concerned about the security in some parts of the country," Nilab Mobarez, spokeswoman of United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) told a press conference here.

    Afghanistan has seen the number of security incidents reaching 740 during the first four month of this year, a 43 percent increase compared with 519 cases in the same period of 2008, it said.

    Moreover, the report explained that the rise in incident levels is due to increased fighting in traditional conflict areas in the south and east while insurgents activities in previously stable areas, particularly in the north, also expanded.

    However, the UNAMA spokeswoman noted that despite the extremely complex reality, some progress has been achieved in key parts of the country.

    Coordination between the Afghan National Army, police and the National Directorate of Security improved, resulting in the sharp decrease in security incidents in Kabul and surrounding province, Mobarez said.