“About 26,000 Iraqis have been either killed or injured in attacks by militants since January 2004, a report published by the Pentagon suggests. “
The Telegraph:
Victims of insurgents in Iraq top 26,000
The United States military has for the first time admitted that it is keeping records of Iraqi deaths as it disclosed that it estimates 26,000 to have been killed or injured by insurgents since January last year.
The Guardian:
Pentagon reports 26,000 Iraqi casualties in 2 years
New Pentagon figures show that the number of Iraqis killed or wounded has risen sharply in recent months, and that the toll has reached 26,000 since the beginning of 2004. The figures are the first published estimate by the defence department of Iraqi casualties from the conflict.
The numbers, in the form of a bar graph in a recent report to Congress, do not distinguish between deaths and injuries, and include soldiers, police and civilians. An Associated Press survey found that about two-thirds of Iraqi casualties have been civilian. US officials admit that the figures are an underestimate, as they are based on incident reports from American soldiers with incomplete information.
Hat tip: DR
