SRSG Melkert extends his condolences to the families of the victims and to the people and the Government of Iraq and wishes a speedy recovery to those who were wounded. He also expressed concern that acts of violence targeting the Iraqi people, of all different backgrounds, continue to claim lives on a daily basis and reiterated that every effort should be exerted by all Iraqi leaders to expedite agreement on pending issues, in particular the government formation, in order to ensure Iraq’s ability to protect its citizens