UN: Over 400 Iraqi civilians killed in January

A total of 403 Iraqi civilians were killed and another 924 were injured in the acts of terrorism, violence and armed conflict in Iraq in January, the United Nations Assistance Mission for Iraq (UNAMI) announced today.

According to the Anadolu Agency, UNAMI’s monthly casualty report showed that the number of civilians killed in January, excluding police officers, amounted to 382, while the number of civilians injured was 908.

The report did not clarify the identity of the remaining 21 killed and 16 injured, and whether they were civilians or security personnel.

“Baghdad was the worst affected governorate with 572 civilian casualties with 128 killed and 444 injured. Nineveh followed with 187 killed and 285 injured, and Salahadin had 30 killed and 45 injured,” the report explained

According to information obtained by UNAMI from the Al-Anbar Health Directorate, the governorate has suffered a total of 143 civilian casualties, including 22 deaths and 121 injures.

On his part, the Special Representative of the United Nations Secretary-General for Iraq (SRSG) Jan Kubis said: “Daesh terrorists have focused their bombing attacks on markets and residential neighbourhoods. They have cowardly targeted civilians – women, children and the elderly who were going about their business or shopping.”

“But Daesh’s goal of breaking the will of the people has collapsed in the face of the Iraqi people’s resilience, despite the difficulties and hardship, and the steady advances of the Iraqi security forces in the operation to liberate Mosul from the terrorists.”