Over 1,700 killed in Iraq violence in July: UN

At least 1,737 Iraqis were killed, and 1,978 others injured in terrorist attacks and violence in July, according to a statement issued Friday by the UN Assistance Mission for Iraq (UNAMI).

The statement said that 1,186 civilians, including 106 civilian policemen, and 551 Iraqi security forces personnel were killed, while 1,511 civilians, including 177 civilian policemen, were wounded.

An additional 467 security members were wounded in terrorist and violent acts in July, Xinhua reported citing the UN data.

UNAMI excluded the casualties in Anbar province where fierce clashes flared up after Iraqi police dismantled an anti-government protest site outside Ramadi in late December last year.

However, the statement obtained information from the General Hospital of Fallujah in Anbar province's Fallujah city saying that the total civilian casualties up to March 30 in the city was 132 killed and 421 injured. Information on casualties in Anbar's other areas is not available.

UN envoy and UNAMI chief Nickolay Mladenov voiced concern about worsening violence in Iraq and urged Iraqi leaders and politicians to address the root causes of violence in the country.

"I am concerned about the rising number of casualties in Iraq, particularly among the civilian population. Children and women are most vulnerable. All sides should ensure that civilians are protected and that international humanitarian law is respected," the statement quoted Mladenov as saying.

"Despite the continuing fighting, politicians have shown that they can work together in choosing the new president and the new speaker of the Council of Representatives. It is time that they move forward on the creation of a new government that can address the root causes of violence in Iraq and ensure equitable development for all communities," he said.

Iraq has been witnessing some of the worst violence in years. Terrorism and violence have killed 5,576 civilians in Iraq in the first half of this year, with 11,666 more wounded, according to a recent UN report.