UN says violence killed 2,505 Iraqis in two months

Latest figures released by the United Nations show that acts of terrorism and violence have claimed the lives of 2,505 people in Iraq during the months of October and November.

According to the UN Assistance Mission for Iraq (UNAMI), a total of 1,232 Iraqis lost their lives in November, while 2,434 others were injured.

The UN mission further noted that at least 402 people were killed and 624 others wounded in Iraq’s western province of Anbar. A great proportion of the fatalities were recorded in the provincial capital city of Ramadi, located about 110 kilometers (68 miles) west of the capital, Baghdad, where Iraqi government forces are battling the ISIL Takfiri terrorists.

In addition, at least 332 people were killed and 921 others wounded in a series of bombings and gun attacks across Baghdad Province.

“With nearly 12,000 people killed and nearly 22,000 injured since the beginning of 2014, Iraqis continue to be daily subjected to the unspeakable horrors of killing, maiming, reign of terror, displacement, extreme forms of intolerance and poverty,” said Nikolay Mladenov, the United Nations Iraq envoy.

He added, “I take this opportunity to continue encouraging the Iraqi political, religious and social leaders to act decisively to rise above their differences in order to resolve the pending political, social and economic problems, and restore confidence among Iraq’s communities, more particularly those disaffected groups, as part of consolidating the democratic process.”

In October, at least 856 civilians and 417 Iraqi security forces lost their lives, while over 2,000 others were injured.

ISIL launched an offensive in June and took control of Iraq’s second largest city, Mosul, before sweeping through much of the country’s Sunni Arab heartland.