"Military strikes against (ISIL) might have little lasting effect or even be counter-productive if there is no movement towards inclusive government in Iraq," Ban alleged on Friday.

Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki won at least 93 seats, and the two main rivals, the movement of Muqtada Sadr and the Islamic Supreme Council of Iraq also won a combined 57 seats, according Iraq's electoral commission.

Ban Ki-moon ignored the results of parliamentary elections in Iraq and tried to undermine the process of democracy-building in the war-torn country. Maliki, however, tried to make use of potentials from other factions and sects to further political and economic progress in his state.

During a speech to the Asia Society on Syria, Ban denounced sectarian insurgency and the reprisals that follow, urging the Iraqi government and its supporters not to retaliate against Sunni communities in revenge for attacks by the Al-Qaeda-inspired ISIL.

According to Xinhua news agency, he said that the extremist group is trying to show that the governments in Baghdad and its allies are working together to support atrocities against Sunnis and mobilize support from the Sunni majority that do not share the extremists' agenda.

He also revealed that arms and militants have crossed the border between Syria and Iraq and urged religious and political leaders from the region to call for restraint and avoid further violence.

The Iraqi elections dealt a blow to rival groups as well as certain Arab regimes supporting al-Qaeda and Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) in Iraq, seeking to prevent him serving a third term.

In April, Maliki blamed Saudi Arabia for sponsoring insurgency efforts in his country and neighboring Syria, saying the Persian Gulf state has "clearly interfered" in Syrian and in Iraqi internal affairs.

Maliki said that he believed Saudi Arabia was facilitating the entry of foreign "mercenaries" into Iraq, deteriorating the persisting violence in the war-ravaged country.

NTJ/MB