Thursday, September 21 2006 17:55 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

United Nations: Painting a grim picture of the security situation in Iraq, the United Nations has said despite considerable efforts by the Iraqi Government to re-establish the rule of law, an unprecedented 6,600 civilians were killed in the country in the last two months.

Particularly abhorrent are terrorist attacks against markets and mosques and the killing of religious pilgrims, the UN Assistance Mission for Iraq (UNAMI) said in its latest human rights report adding that a spike in sectarian and revenge attacks took place in July, which claimed 3,590 lives.

It cited the lack of centralised control over the use of force as a cause for terrorist attacks, the growth of militias and the emergence of organised crime, resulting in indiscriminate killings of civilians, with hundreds of bodies appearing throughout the country bearing signs of severe torture and execution style killing.

Extra-judicial executions of former members of the armed forces or those associated with the former regime and the targeting of judges and lawyers because of their work have continued.

"Such violence against judges is keenly felt because of their already acute shortage throughout Iraq, a fact that further undermines the establishment of the rule of law in the country," the report noted adding that UNAMI was also concerned at ongoing threats to freedom of expression from the continuous targeting of journalists and news publications.