'Record' Iraq civilian deaths
2006-10-01 21:08
Baghdad - The number of Iraqi civilians
killed in violence may have jumped to a record high in
September, data from the Iraqi government indicated on Sunday.
Partial statistics compiled by the health ministry and
issued by the interior ministry put civilian deaths last month
at 1 089, a 42% increase from 769 in August and more than
the previous record in this series of data - 1 065 in July.
Though apparently incomplete, the data has previously given
early indications of trends later borne out by other estimates
- notably a sharp increase in killings after the bombing of a
Shi'ite shrine in February and a decline in the number of deaths
at the start of a major military operation in Baghdad in August.
The United Nations - which adds numbers on hospital deaths
from the health ministry to the numbers of unidentified bodies
in the Baghdad morgue - has said 6 599 Iraqis were killed in July
and August, 700 more than in the previous two months.
60 bodies in two days
It said there were fewer deaths in August than in July, but
said two weeks ago that casualties had risen in September.
On two days last month, the interior ministry reported
finding 60 bodies in various locations around Baghdad, most of
them bound, tortured, shot and dumped.
Power drills, acid, nails
and whips formed of electric cable are among the instruments of
torture regularly used.
Dozens of such corpses are found every day.
Morgue officials say they have been ordered to stop giving
out data on deaths, though an official told Reuters last month
that the total number of unidentified bodies - most of which are
victims of violence - fell by 17% percent in August to 1 536.
Mortuary figures for September were not immediately available.
- Reuters