The United Nations says the death toll in Iraq during the month of May is a staggering 799 people, the Associated Press reports. It is the highest monthly death toll so far this year.
Of the 799 killed, 603 were civilians while 196 were security forces. Roughly 1,400 Iraqis have been injured in the violence that continues to plague the country, according to AP.
The worst hit city is Baghdad, the capital of Iraq, with 315 people killed. The figures exclude deaths in the restive Anbar province, an area where militants are battling the military for control. Fighting in Anbar has killed and displaced thousands of Iraqis.
Iraq faces many challenges as al Qaeda militants continually carry out attacks and sectarian tensions threaten to rip the country apart.
