Dubai – Masaader News
A total of 203 Iraqi civilians were killed and another 389 injured in acts of terrorism, violence and armed conflict in Iraq in September 2017*, according to casualty figures recorded by the United Nations Assistance Mission for Iraq (UNAMI).
The number of civilians killed in September (not including police) was 196, while the number of injured (not including police) was 381. The fatalities included 10 foreign nationals.
Of those figures, Baghdad was the worst affected Governorate, with 194 civilian casualties (37 killed, 157 injured). Dhi Qar Governorate followed, with 82 killed and 93 injured, and Anbar had 20 killed and 46 injured. The figures for Anbar were obtained by UNAMI from the Health Directorate in the Governorate and were updated until 29 September, inclusive.
The United Nations Special Representative of the Secretary-General (SRSG) for Iraq, Mr. Ján Kubiš, said the continuing suffering of civilians is a stark reminder of the terrorist Daesh’s ability to strike despite defeats on the battlefront.
“In a single attack on 14 September, Daesh terrorists managed to kill or injure close to 200 civilians, including foreign pilgrims, at Nasiriya in Dhi Qar Governorate in the south. This only proves that the terrorist Daesh remains a potent force, if not resolutely countered throughout the whole country as a matter of priority, without any distractions that divert attention elsewhere,” Mr. Kubiš said.
“Attacks like this serve as a call for all Iraqis to set aside their differences, no matter how significant and how deep-rooted, and to continue working together in fighting Daesh. The terrorist Daesh, on the verge of being wiped out from the soil of Iraq by the combined efforts of all components of the Iraqi security forces, Peshmerga and local and tribal volunteers seeks to exploit and benefit from every opportunity, every dispute and discord to prolong its lease of life here and in the region, to pursue its global terrorist objectives. Fighting and defeating Daesh remains a priority and requires that all Iraqis remain united behind their security forces, focusing on the elimination of this enemy that does not differentiate between a region or a sect and which is lurking around with the aim of undermining the country.”
*CAVEATS: In general, UNAMI has been hindered in effectively verifying casualties in conflict areas. Figures for casualties from Anbar Governorate are provided by the Health Directorate and are noted below. Casualty figures obtained from the Anbar Health Directorate might not fully reflect the real number of casualties in those areas due to the increased volatility of the situation on the ground and the disruption of services. In some cases, UNAMI could only partially verify certain incidents. UNAMI has also received, without being able to verify, reports of large numbers of casualties along with unknown numbers of persons who have died from secondary effects of violence after having fled their homes due to exposure to the elements, lack of water, food, medicines and health care. For these reasons, the figures reported have to be considered as the absolute minimum.
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