Conflict in Iraq has created at least 26,000 civilian casualties, of which nearly 10,000 were killed so far this year. That grim toll was announced by the United Nations on Thursday. More than 5,500 have been killed since ISIS launched its offensive from Syria in June. While the report declared that actions by ISIS like mass executions and sexual violence "may amount to war crimes or crimes against humanity," it also singled out government security forces and militias associated with them for "gross violations" of international law for targeted killings, summary executions, and airstrikes causing civilian deaths.
