|
Iraq civilian deaths down
01/10/2007 18:26 - (SA)
Baghdad - At least 840 civilians were killed in Iraq in September, less than half the toll of the previous month, according to figures compiled by three Iraqi ministries and seen by AFP on Monday.
The monthly toll, which coincides with a drop in September in the number of US soldiers killed in a month, is the lowest this year.
The figure for civilians killed in August was 1 771, significantly higher than the number for February, when the United States launched its "surge" during which it flooded Baghdad and surrounding areas with 28 500 extra troops in a bid to stem sectarian bloodletting.
In that month, 1 626 civilians were killed according to the figures from the health, interior and defence ministries.
The toll hit a high of 1 951 in May but dipped in June to 1 241, although it began climbing again in July, when 1 652 civilians were recorded killed.
Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki's government no longer issues official casualty statistics and has refused to provide figures to UN human rights monitors, who can no longer confirm the reports.
US military deaths for September stand at a 14-month low of 71, the lowest monthly figure since July last year, according to an AFP tally based on Pentagon figures.
US commanders say the drop in violence is largely thanks to the "surge" strategy.
"The trend is certainly in the right direction," US military spokesperson Rear Admiral Mark Fox told a press conference in Baghdad on Sunday.
Militants continue to launch near-daily attacks on the country's fledgling security forces, killing 77 police and soldiers in September, down from 85 the previous month, the data from the ministries said.
|
News
