UN says 662 Iraqis killed in violence, conflicts in June

The United Nations Assistance Mission for Iraq (UNAMI) said Friday that 662 Iraqis were killed and 1,457 others wounded in terrorism, violence and armed conflicts in June across Iraq.

The figures included 382 civilians killed and 1,145 others wounded, while 280 security members were killed and 312 others wounded, the UNAMI said in a statement.

The UNAMI figures excluded the casualties in Iraq's western province of Anbar as it was extremely difficult to verify the casualties in the province where fierce clashes are underway as the security forces freed the main stronghold of the Islamic State (IS) militant group in the city of Fallujah, some 50 km west of Baghdad, after fierce clashes with the terrorist group.

The statement said the UN envoy to Iraq and the UNAMI chief Jan Kubis regretted that the violence and the casualties among civilians continued during the holy month of Ramadan.

"We had hoped for a period of calm during holy Ramadan, a month of peace and compassion, but unfortunately the violence continued to take its toll on civilians. The terrorists did not spare an occasion to strike at markets, mosques and areas where people gathered in order to exact maximum casualties among civilians, despite the religious occasion and in total disregard of the values of Islam. In addition, tens of thousands of civilians also were forced to flee their homes in Fallujah as a result of the fighting there," Kubis said.

He also reiterated his call on the concerning parties to undertake every effort to protect the lives of civilians.

A month ago, the casualties registered 867 people killed and 1,459 others injured in terrorist attacks and violence across the country.

The latest UN figures came after security forces and allied paramilitary Hashd Shaabi units recaptured Fallujah on June 26, following a month of intense battles, while the troops continued their advance in the northern part of Salahudin province to free the remaining areas from IS militants in the northern the province, before attacking the major IS stronghold in the city of Mosul, some 400 km north of Baghdad.

Iraq has witnessed intense violence since the IS took control of parts of its northern and western regions in June 2014.

Many blame the current chronic instability, cycle of violence, and the emergence of extremist groups such as the IS group on the United States, which invaded Iraq in March 2003 under the pretext of seeking to destroy weapons of mass destruction (WMD) in the country.

The war led to the ouster and eventual execution of former Iraqi president Saddam Hussein, but no WMD was found. Endit