Acts of terror kill 203 Iraqis in September 2017, injures about 400: UN report

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, said a press release published by the UN Information Center (UNIC) in Tehran on Tuesday.

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.'

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