U.N. says nearly 1,000 Iraqis killed in October

BAGHDAD (AP) -- The United Nations says that 979 Iraqis died in attacks in October, a monthly death toll that is exactly the same as the figure for September.

U.N. envoy to Iraq, Nickolay Mladenov, is urging Iraqi political leaders to take bold actions to halt the “current mayhem.”

Violence has spiked recently amid political and sectarian tensions, raising fears that Iraq might be heading toward a second round of sectarian strife.

The grim report released on Friday by the U.N. mission says that out of the 979 killed in October, 852 were civilians while 127 were soldiers and members of the police force.

The U.N. also says 1,793 Iraqis were wounded in attacks across the country last month.

Baghdad was the worst affected province, with 411 killed and 925 wounded.