UN envoy condemns deadly attacks in Iraq

The top UN official in Iraq on Wednesday condemned "in the strongest possible terms" the wave of deadly attacks that claimed dozens of lives across the country. Martin Kobler, the Secretary-General's special representative and head of the UN Assistance Mission for Iraq (UNAMI), said the " devastating terrorist attacks" again targeted innocent citizens struggling to build a more hopeful future for themselves and their children, UN deputy spokesperson Eduardo del Buey said. At least 35 people were killed and 151 others wounded on Tuesday in a wave of violent attacks across Iraq -- most of them in the capital city of Baghdad. "This carnage must stop," del Buey told reporters at a daily news briefing, citing Kobler as saying. The special envoy once again urged the Iraqi authorities to "do their utmost and take all necessary measures to protect the people of Iraq from more bloodshed," del Buey said. This latest spate of violence comes amid what is considered one of the deadliest streaks on record for the Arab country, and a reversal in a trend that has seen violence ebb in recent years. A total of 761 Iraqis were killed and another 1,771 wounded in acts of terrorism and violence in June, UNAMI has reported. Of those killed, 685 were civilians, including 131 civilian police. Out of the 1,771 wounded, the vast majority -- 1,610 including 221 civilian police -- were civilians. High-profile bomb attacks are still common in Iraq despite a dramatic decrease since their peak in 2006 and 2007, when the country was engulfed in sectarian killings.