Updated at 12:40 a.m. EDT, June 2, 2016
During May, at least 4,237 people were killed and 2,396 were wounded in Iraq. These figures should be considered very low estimates. Heavy fighting at the Fallujah and Mosul frontlines prevents independent verification of any reports, but we do know there is heaving fighting going on. In April, 4,609 were killed and 1,772 were injured.
At least 652 civilians were killed, and 1,852 were wounded. Security personnel lost 290 members, while 438 more were wounded. At least 3,218 militants were also killed, and 106 more were wounded, according to media reports.
Also killed in Iraq during May were two American service members, one Australian contractor, and an Australian N.G.O. worker. Several U.S. service members were wounded.
The United Nations released its figures for May as well. The organization counted 468 civilians killed and 1,041 injured. At least 399 security personnel were killed and 418 were injured as well. The U.N. does not attempt to count casualties in Anbar province were heavy fighting is taking place. Nor does it count militant casualties.
Combining the figures brings the totals to 4,237 killed and 2,396 wounded.
In other news:
A U.S. service member was wounded in northern Iraq near Erbil. Although the service member was not participating in “active combat,” the injuries were the result of indirect fire from Islamic State militants.
Islamic State militants staged a counter attack on Iraqi forces in southern Fallujah, particularly in the Nuaimiya area. Several humanitarian groups publicly addressed their fears that conditions in Fallujah are deteriorating for civilians; many are being used as human shields. Witnesses in Fallujah say that the militants are angry at the lack of support and have been rounding up young men and boys.
At least 116 people were killed and 34 were wounded in recent violence:
A suicide bomber targeting militamen killed four people and wounded 13 more in Suleiman Bek.
In Baghdad, a bomb near a Za’afaraniya medical center killed one person and wounded six more. A sniper killed one policeman and wounded two more at a checkpoint in Arab Jabour. Two people were killed and eight were wounded in a blast in Yusufiya.
A roadside bomb in Maktab killed a civilian and wounded two more, who were trying to escape Daesh territory.
Two Peshmerga were killed and several were wounded while liberating four village near Mosul.
In Bashir, a bomb wounded three militiamen.
Security forces estimate that 75 militants were killed during battles in Fallujah.
Peshmerga forces in Makhmour killed 22 militants during an attack.
At least seven militants were killed in Qaim.
