BAGHDAD — The UN mission to Iraq said on Sunday that violence claimed the lives of at least 1,100 Iraqis in February, including more than 600 civilians. The UN Assistance Mission in Iraq (UNAMI) said in a statement that 611 civilians were among 1,103 people killed last month, with the rest hailing from the security forces. It said at least 2,280 people were wounded, including 1,353 civilians. January's death toll was at least 1,375. The most violent city was the capital Baghdad, with 329 civilians killed and 875 wounded, it said. The UN numbers do not include the third of the country held by the self-proclaimed Islamic State extremist group. UN envoy Nickolay Mladenov blamed the deaths on the extremist group, government forces and pro-government Shiite militias. “Daily terrorist attacks perpetrated by ISIL continue to deliberately target all Iraqis,” Mladenov said in the statement, using an acronym for the IS group. “There are also concerning reports of a number of revenge killings by armed groups in areas recently liberated from ISIL,” he added. He called on Iraq's fractured leaders to reconcile, saying “an exclusively military solution to the problem of ISIL is impossible.” The statement came a day after series of attacks targeting public places and Shiite militia checkpoints in and around the capital killed at least 37 people. The deadliest, near the city of Samarra, saw two suicide car bombers attack checkpoints manned by Shiite militiamen, killing 16 Shite fighters and wounding 31. Hours later, the IS group claimed responsibility for the Samarra attacks in a statement posted on an account used by the militants. The IS extremist group and other insurgents seized control of much of western and northern Iraq last year. — AP
