Iraq violence kills over 1,600 in July: government figures

Iraq violence kills over 1,600 in July: government figures
Fri Aug 1, 2014 19:03:47

More than 1,600 people were killed in acts of violence in Iraq last month, most of them civilians, according to government figures released Friday that excluded foreign backed militants.

Figures compiled by the health, interior and defense ministries showed that 1,401 civilians, 185 soldiers and 83 policemen were killed in July.

The toll marked a slight drop from a seven-year high recorded in June, when the terrorist group of ISIL launched a sweeping offensive that triggered Iraq's worst crisis in years.

The latest tally also shows that a total of 2,104 people were wounded, including 246 soldiers and 153 policemen.

The United Nations representation in Iraq provided a higher figure, saying at least 1,737 people were killed in July.

"I am concerned about the rising number of casualties in Iraq, particularly among the civilian population. Children and women are most vulnerable," top UN envoy Nickolay Mladenov said.

The United Nations said earlier that a wave of violence in Iraq left more than 2,400 people dead in June, making it the deadliest month this year.

The UN mission to Iraq said in a statement on Tuesday that the death toll includes over 1,500 civilians and nearly 890 members of security forces.

May was the second deadliest month this year, with 799 Iraqis killed, including 603 civilians. April’s death toll was 750.
Iraq is currently witnessing a wave of violence unprecedented in recent years.

NJF/NJF

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