Despite hopes for calm during the holy month of Ramadan, hundreds killed in Iraq: UN

At least 662 Iraqis – half of them civilians – were killed and another 1,457 were injured in acts of terrorism, violence and armed conflict in the country in June, according to latest figures released by the United Nations political mission in Iraq.

“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,” said the Special Representative for Iraq, Ján Kubiš.

He noted that terrorists did not spare an occasion to strike at markets, mosques and areas where people gathered in order to exact maximum casualties among civilians, “in total disregard of the values of Islam.”

The overall casualty figures dropped over the previous month of May, but the casualty figures for June are likely to increase due to the combat to liberate Fallujah in Anbar Governorate, according to the UN Assistance Mission for Iraq (UNAMI).

In a statement yesterday, Mr. Kubiš, who heads UNAMI, strongly condemned a terrorist suicide bombing at a popular market in a southwest neighbourhood of Baghdad in which a number of civilians were killed or wounded.

UNAMI also expressed concern about other violence which left a number of people killed or wounded in two separate gun attacks Wednesday night in Baghdad.