UN: Iraq Records 1,045 Deaths In May; Highest In Years

By Eyder Peralta

Published June 1, 2013 at 12:07 PM EDT

The United Nations Assistance Mission for Iraq has this grim piece of news today:

"According to casualty figures released today by UNAMI, a total of 1,045 Iraqis were killed and another 2,397 were wounded in acts of terrorism and acts of violence in May.

"The number of civilians killed was 963 (including 181 civilian police) and the number of civilians injured was 2,191 (including 359 civilian police). A further 82 members of the Iraqi Security Forces were killed and 206 were injured."

Special Representative of the United Nations Secretary-General for Iraq Martin Kobler called the record "sad" and called on the Iraqi government to "stop this intolerable bloodshed."

The Guardian reports that this is the highest monthly death total since June 2008.

Reuters reports that U.N. death toll is greater than the 600 deaths estimated by Reuters, which based its estimate on police and hospital officials. The AP counted 578 deaths.

The U.N. says its count is based on "direct investigation, along with credible secondary sources."