Violence in Iraq Resulted in Nearly 900 Deaths in September

Sectarian violence getting worse

(Reuters)—Nearly 900 civilians were killed across Iraq in September as sectarian violence worsened, raising the death toll for 2013 to more than last year's total, the United Nations said on Tuesday.

Most of the bloodshed was instigated by Sunni Islamist militants. In addition to 887 civilians, 92 members of the security forces were killed.

September's toll brought the number of people killed so far this year to 5,740, exceeding the toll for all of 2012, when the first yearly increase in civilian deaths was recorded since 2009 following the withdrawal of U.S. troops in December 2011.