The United Nations said Monday that terrorism and other acts of violence in Iraq killed at least 6,878 civilians and wounded another 12,388 last year.
But the casualty figures may actually be higher because they do not include civilians who were killed or injured in Iraq's western Anbar province during the months of May, July, August and December.
The numbers "have to be considered as the absolute minimum," according to the U.N. Assistance Mission for Iraq (UNAMI).
The U.N. said civilian casualty figures for December are lower compared to previous months, despite noticing an increase in terrorist bombings toward the end of the month that targeted civilians.
"There is, no doubt, an attempt by Daesh (an Arabic acronym for Islamic State) to divert attention from their losses in (the Iraqi city) of Mosul and, unfortunately, it is the innocent civilians who are paying the price," said Jan Kubis, Special Representative of the U.N. Secretary General for Iraq.
UNAMI reported that 7,512 civilians were killed in Iraq in 2015.
