More Than 1,000 Iraqis Killed In May Violence Says UN

The United Nations mission to Iraq said Saturday that more than 1,000 people were killed in violence across the country last month — the highest monthly death toll in years.

Violence has increased sharply in Iraq over the past two months, with bombings in civilian areas growing more frequent as fears grow that widespread sectarian conflict may once again break out in the country. The bloodshed has accelerated since a deadly April 23 crackdown by security forces on a Sunni protest in the northern town of Hawija.

The UN figures showed that 1,045 civilians and security personnel were killed in May. That surpassed the 712 killed in April, the deadliest month recorded since June 2008.

UN envoy Martin Kobler called the figures “a sad record.”

“Iraqi political leaders must act immediately to stop this intolerable bloodshed,” he said in a statement.

More than half of those killed were in the greater Baghdad area. Car bombs and other explosives were responsible for the bulk of the casualties across the country. Authorities on Friday imposed a sweeping ban on cars bearing common temporary license plates across the Iraqi capital in an apparent effort to thwart car bombings.

Tallies of Iraqi casualties have long been the subject of debate, and the UN total is considerably higher than that reported by news agencies in the country. The Associated Press counted at least 578 Iraqis killed in May, based on reports from Iraqi officials.

The UN says its totals are based on direct investigation and accounts from credible outside sources. They are conservative and may under-report the actual numbers of those killed, according to the UN.

Iraqi authorities believe the local offshoot of al-Qaida and other Sunni-backed militant groups are responsible for much of the violence. But a series of attacks on Sunni mosques that have left more than 100 dead in recent weeks is raising concerns that Shiite militants are also behind some of the violence.