UNITED NATIONS, March 22 (Xinhua) -- The United Nations on Wednesday called on Iraq's government to urgently assert control over the security forces and all armed groups in the war-torn country as cases of killings, torture, illegal detention and displacement are on surge.

    "Throughout the reporting period, insurgent activities, including terrorist acts, intensified after Feb. 22 and continue to affect the civilian population, "the UN Assistance Mission in Iraq (UNAMI) said in a bimonthly rights report covering the first two months of this year.

    The mission was referring to the Feb. 22 attack on a Shiite shrine in Samarra, which had pushed the country to the brink of civil war.

    "Allegations that 'death squads' operate in the country grew stronger following the discovery by the (U.S.-led) Multinational Forces in Iraq and the Iraqi Security Forces of a suspicious group,acting within the structures of the Ministry of Interior," the report said.

    The report pointed out that "families living in mixed neighborhoods were forcibly evicted from their homes or left voluntarily because of threats of violence from militias, insurgents and other armed groups."

    It added that civilians, "especially women and children," continue to bear the brunt of the human rights violations.

    Following the destruction of the Shia Shrine in Samarra, the report noted that "serious incidents of violence erupted in and around Baghdad, in Basra as well as in other parts of the country," and in retaliation a significant number of Sunni mosques were reportedly attacked "and clerics were among those assassinated."

    The seven-page report also emphasizes throughout the UN mission's apprehension over the treatment of detainees in Iraq, adding that international law and best practice must be upheld.

    UNAMI has repeatedly expressed concerns to relevant members of the government about allegations of systematic human rights violations in detention centers under the direct or indirect control of the Ministries of Interior and Defense. Enditem