UN: At least 18,800 civilians killed in Iraq war since 2014

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Wednesday 20 Jan 2016 - 13:56 Makkah mean time-10-4-1437 (Image from EPA) Geneva, (IINA) - A UN report on Tuesday showed that the conflict in Iraq has claimed the lives of at least 18,800 civilians and has left another 36,200 wounded since early 2014, the UN singled out ISIS extremists for many of the killings, DPA reported. In addition, 3.2 million people became internally displaced between January 2014 and October 2015, the UN Assistance Mission for Iraq and the UN Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights said, providing the latest available figures. The report pointed out that ISIS had been systematically spreading terror by killing people in front of the public using methods such as beheadings, bulldozing, burning victims alive, and throwing people off buildings. "These acts may, in some instances, amount to war crimes, crimes against humanity, and possibly genocide", the UN report said. In the conflict between government forces, Kurdish units and ISIS, the terroristic group has been targeting perceived civilian opponents, people linked to the government and police, lawyers, doctors, journalists and local leaders, according to evidence collected by UN experts. The report also indicated that ISIS abducted between 800 and 900 children in Mosul in June for religious and military training and that the extremists were using women and children as sexual slaves. "This report lays bare the enduring suffering of civilians in Iraq and starkly illustrates what Iraqi refugees are attempting to escape when they flee to Europe and other regions", said Zeid Ra'ad Al-Hussein, the UN high commissioner for human rights. Besides those killed or injured in the conflict, countless others had died from lack of water, food or medical care, Al-Hussein pointed out. AG/IINA